Far Flung
by The Trumpet's Call Sounds
Summary: What is there to do when everything is ripped away? When everything you knew was gone, including yourself? Dreams can only carry a person so far, hope alone cannot sustain life by itself. Sometimes, what we need is a constant, a flame that does not waver, to weather the changing world.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! It's been a while since my last story on here, almost exactly a year since I finished my last one. Hope everyone who has read my other stories enjoys this, and if you're new feel free to check out my profile for links to other stories by me. I don't know how often I will be updating, it may be anywhere between 2-3 days or 2-3 weeks between uploads.**

I swung the sword bodily, my weight augmenting the force of the blow. It clanked off the shield of the evil knight, knocking him backwards. I pressed the attack, following up with a vicious upwards strike. My opponent felled, I stood victorious, triumphant- and then the bell rang.

My eyes snapped open, reminding me of my true location: a highschool classroom, not the glorious battles of my mindscape. The other kids were slowly streaming out of the classroom "Tobias?" My teacher called out my name, and I groaned internally. "Could I talk to you for a second?" I walked up to the teacher's desk, looking down at my shoes. "You fell asleep in class again, is something going on at home?" He asked. I stole a glance at the teacher, Mr. Gladstone. His ill-fitting tan suit shifting as he adjusted himself, the 40 some odd year old precalculus teacher was gazing intently at me.

"Not really." I answered "Just tired. Haven't been sleeping well." I spoke in short, incomplete sentenced, desperate to get out of the room. It would be disrespectful to let on that I found the class boring, but with each passing second it became more and more tempting to say.

Mr. Gladstone looked me up and down, and I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes. I looked back down at my shoes, my eyes picking apart the uneven knot I had tied on the left one. "I'm worried about you, ever since your dad died your grades have been slipping." My stomach dropped. It must have bled through to my expression as Mr. Gladstone 's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have-" He began, before I cut him off.

"It's fine." I murmured, before turning away and moving for the door. He didn't move to stop me. Stepping out into the hallway, I moved in a daze. Flowing with the rush of the crowd, making my way to my last class of the day. It was this class I dreaded most of all; the last forty minutes of the school day.

The end of school drags out over the course of what feels as if it were hours, made worse by the people in the class. I took a seat in the front left of the classroom, as far away from _him_ as I could be. I glanced around, and there he was, smirking at me from the back of the room. I turned away, praying that nothing would come of it. My eyes turned to the clock on the wall, slowly ticking away, removed from the oppressive air of the classroom.

"Alright class, today we are going to cover the mythology of the legendary pokemon.", intoned our teacher, an elderly woman by the name of Mrs. Harper. Everyone in the room except apparently her knew that this class was pointless. Anyone who wanted to become a pokemon trainer would have set off on their adventure a long time ago. Everyone still here either couldn't or had no drive to. I fell into the former. My family was not well off and we couldn't afford all of the supplies I would need for such a journey. My mind drifted away, far from the constraints of the school's brick walls, back to my mindscape's battlefield.

* * *

As class ended, I made sure that I left after he did, lingering as I rifled through my bag, looking for nothing in particular. Once I was sure he had gone, I left myself, making a beeline to the nearest door, praying he had gone the other direction. My hope was in vain. No sooner had I left the building that I felt a shove from behind and I was sent sprawling on the ground. I pushed myself up off the ground, wincing as I put weight on my scraped hand.

I forced myself to look at him. He was leaning against the wall, his designer jeans and $300 jacket only adding hateful fire to the image of cruelty that he was. I had never learned his name, that was my one small victory over him. He had it all - money, powerful parents, freedom - it was the least I could do to deprive him one thing. In one hand he held a pokeball, inlaid with what was no doubt pure gold.

He clicked the button on the ball, not even glancing at it. He was still staring at me with the same air of contempt as before. The pokemon inside was released, and I recognized it almost immediately as a growlithe. It growled at me, and my heart quickened. He wouldn't attack me with a pokemon, how could he?. He snorted a bit, grin widening. "Growlithe, fuck him up."

An instant later there was a sharp pain in my leg and I reflexively kicked at the little demon dog attempting to chew off my leg as I yelled out in pain. There was a muffled yelp, and I felt the pressure on my leg release. I ran away, adrenaline numbing my pain, for now.

Once I was out of sight of the school I stopped, breathing ragged. I looked down at the bite on my leg. It hurt like a bitch, but it hadn't manage to puncture my skin through my jeans. Despite the pain it had inflicted on me I felt bad for the pokemon more than anything. It was stuck with it's owner for the rest of it's life, when I at least had a chance to run away.

I shifted my weight from one foot to another, wincing as the pain redoubled with the pressure. I set off once more, limping home, feeling more and more sorry for myself. What had I ever done to set him off on me? What was I going to tell my mom? If I told the truth she would take it up with the school, it would take a ton of time and then nothing would happen because his dad would pull some strings. I wished I could tell her the truth though. She always said that the only thing I could do that she couldn't forgive was lie to her. I closed my eyes and grimaced. Either way, she wasn't gonna be happy when she got home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone! I had a ton of ideas bouncing around so you get a quick second chapter at the expense of my sleep. I typed this up on my phone mostly, so any spelling mistakes should be fixed some time tomorrow (which will be the 26th of september for future reference).**

I reached home right as the clock struck three. I knew my mom wouldn't get off of work today until five, which meant I had two hours to think up an excuse. The bite had put small holes in the leg of my jeans, which was slightly blackened from the pokemon's body heat, but lickily there was no blood, which made my job easier.

I kicked off my shoes, leaving them by the front door. My mom insisted that everyone who visited do this as well, as she didn't have the time to vacuum the dirt from people's shoes on a regular basis, nor the money to hire someone to do it. She had never asked me to, although I would have if she did. I supposed she just didn't want to force more stress on me.

I made my way to my room, moving slowly, lost in thought. I often dreamed of a future where I had succeeded in life, coming home wealthy and triumphant, moving mom out of the falling-apart house and into a grand mansion just for her.

I sat down on my bed. There was an oppressive stillness in the air. I felt a vague sense of wrongness as a sudden exhaustion wracked my mind. I fought it just long enough to wonder what was happening, and then my eyes shut.

* * *

The being floated several hundred feet above the town, savoring the thoughts of thousands. It selected two of the minds, a bully and a victim, one in the empty but extravagant mansion and the other in the cluttered but humble dwelling. "Oh what a joy this would be to watch!" It murmured, not that anyone could hear it. A thought crossed the being's mind. Would anyone miss these mortals? The thought was brushed away as quickly as it had arrived. What did it matter? They're only humans after all, for now at least. The being began gathering energy, preparing to begin the main event.

* * *

I dreamed of strange, cold places, of giant people the size of houses with massive hands that grabbed at me while I ran for my life.

I awoke, but did not yet open my eyes. The instant I could think, I knew something was utterly wrong. My body hurt all over, and at the same time even the sound of my quiet breath was alien to my mind. I kept my eyes closed, afraid of the unknown, both within and without.

I tried to gather what information I could without looking. I felt as though I might cry. What had happened to me? I didn't seem to have hands, my limbs ending in barely articulated extremities. I definitely had a fifth limb if a different kind, a tail maybe?

I forced myself to look. I held back tears as my suspicions were confirmed. I was most definitely no longer human. I was small, I could tell by the size of the berries in the bush a few feet in front of me. I had four legs, ending in stubby paws, as well as a tail, mostly brown but tipped with white. That, along with the small mane of white around my neck, lead me to one logical, impossible conclusion. I had become an eevee?

I struggled to my feet, the motions unnatural, forced. I guessed I was just lucky that unconscious functions like breathing were functioning normally. Now that I was standing, I took a second to survey my surroundings. I was in a small clearing, the density of the trees surrounding me indicating that this was a very old forest, and that I was a long ways from home. I bit my cheek, and quickly released as pain flared. Not dreaming then. Tears came upon me, as I could no longer hold them back. I flopped over, back onto the ground once more. What had done this to me?

With a pang of despair and renewed fear I thought of my mom. How long has I been gone already? Was she already looking for me, in vain? We had lost so much already, and now each other. I longed for her presence, my one bastion of safety in a turbulent world, but it was not to be.

My next thoughts were calmer, my mind turning to reason for an answer. I had no clue where I was, so I had no way to return home. Even if I could, I could hardly go home like this. I also had no clue what had turned me into an eevee, so I had no clue if or how I could be changed back. This left one option: survive and look for answers.

I gazed up at the sky through the trees. The sun was low in the sky. I had no clue if it was rising or setting, god knows how long I was out for. My body still ached, as though it's muscles had never been used before. Quite possibly they hadn't. I doubted that a clearing was the safest place to be, I had to find somewhere more sheltered.

I stood up for a second time. I had to start somewhere, and soon. I picked a direction at random and began to walk, sparing an anxious glance behind me as I went. The forest was completely pathless, only small disturbances betraying signs of other living things. For some time I worried that I would become turned around and end up back where I began, until I came upon a small pond. I finally had a landmark I could use!

My temporary joy was dampened at the sight of my reflection. I looked no different than any other eevee I had seen, yet I could tell that it was indeed me that I saw. I was torn from my thoughts by a distant cry, somewhere off to my left. I stood still for a second. Could that be a predator? No, I decided. It sounded more shocked than anything. Another moment's thinking, then I set off in the direction of the noise.

I walked for maybe a minute before I saw it. A sheer drop ahead of maybe a hundred feet before me, and a valley full of trees so dense that the ground could not be seen. "Is someone there?", a painfully familiar voice called out. I walked to the edge and looked down. Pressed against the cliff face, feet barely finding purchase in a small outcrop a few feet below the top, was a Growlithe.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone! Hope you had a good weekend. Once again I had too many ideas and just had to do some writing, which is all the better for anyone reading**. **I appreciate reviews as always, and will respond to most at the start of each chapter. Anyways, enjoy!**

I looked down upon the Growlithe who had spoken in his voice, my tormentor's voice. If I was in this state it wasn't beyond reason that he was as well. "well, what am I going to do with you?" I said. My voice sounded the same to me as it had before.

He stared up at me, his eyes widening a fraction. "Y-you?" He sputtered. "Out of all the people to be here, you?" He seemed to be in denial.

My mind raced. I had power over him now in a way I never had before. "Well, seeing as there's nothing of worth over here, I guess I'll be going." I said in a jovial manner. I wanted to just say that I hated him, but this would probably hurt him more. I started walking back the way I had came.

"Well fuck you too then!" He shouted, a few seconds I had turned away. "I'm sorry I was an asshole, I guess! Is that what you want? An apology? Just please, please, help me up!"

I spun around and walked back towards the edge once more. I simply asked "Why?".

He was still looking at me, eyes just as wide. "Why what? Why I bullied you? Because…" He trailed off, seeming pensive. "I guess I don't know. My parents never had much time for my, ya know? And so I just…" I assume he tried to shrug, but the motion didn't translate well with four legs. He more just dipped the front of his body down. "Or do you mean why you should help me? I guess despite the fact that I made your life hell for a few years you're still a good person at heart and wouldn't leave me here to die or some bullshit like that? I guess it's cliché but I am counting on you here."

I continued to meet his gaze. " Well, I hate to prove you right but I'd rather not have your death on my conscience. I'll try and help." I said, measuring my words. He visibly relaxed.

I looked around for something I could use. If I still had hands I would try and anchor myself to reach down and pull him up, but that was out of the question. The solution appeared in the form of a thin vine wrapped loosely around a tree trunk. I took a running start, and caught the vine several feet in the air. The sudden weight caused it to fall, pulling some smaller branches down with it. "Everything alright up there? Don't want you dieing before you can get me up." He called out from below.

"Glad you care so much about my wellbeing." I retorted. I gave the vine an experimental tug with my mouth and found it to still be sturdily attached to the tree on one end. I dragged the open end over to the cliff, and nudged it over the edge.

"Alright, got the vine, now what?" He asked.

I thought for a moment longer before speaking. "Hold on tight." It was hard work, dragging him up the vertical cliff without being able to adjust my hold on the vine. Twice the makeshift rope almost slipped from my jaws, and twice I clamped down tighter and persevered. My respite came once his top legs had purchase on level ground and he could pull himself up the rest of the way.

"This entire situation is fucked." He said, once he was solidly in the ground. I nodded in affirmation. I had wasted enough of my time here already, so I turned to leave. "So you're just going then?" He asked. "To where?"

I turned my head back to look at him. "Somewhere that isn't here. Look, just because I helped you doesn't mean I've forgiven you. Remember that." He didn't say anything else as I made my way away from the cliffs and back into the forest.

Maybe I just hadn't noticed before, or maybe my mind was just getting used to having sharper senses, but almost suddenly I could see signs of life where there had previously been none.

One tree contained a pidgey mest. A sapling had bent over slightly, likely pushed there by the passing of a large animal. There was a fern with holes bitten into the massive leaves, either by caterpie or weedle.

I was so absorbed with observing the forest around me that I almost walked into the massive moss covered stone. It took me a second or two to register its existence, then another two to realize what it was. It was, quite probably, a moss stone. Was it safe for me to evolve? Probably not, I had barely even gotten used to my new body, imposing even more change would be a terrible idea. I backed up, then moved in a semi-circle around the stone, giving it a wide berth.

I continued to walk, aimlessly, with no knowledge of what I was searching for. Through gaps in the trees I could see that the sun was indeed rising, the day only just begun. I still didn't know what I was looking for. I only had three landmarks, the pond, the cliff, and the moss stone, not really enough to get a sense of where I was. The topography of the area was quite variable, with small hills scattered throughout the forest.

I had walked for maybe two hours before another sense took it's hold over my perception. The smells of the forest nearly overwhelmed me, so vivid and numerous were they. There were smells for which words did not exist that I could now detect. I struggled to process all the information I was taking in. The fallen tree to my left smelled of rot. A small group of the same pokemon had passed to my left an hour or so ago. In the distance, the faint smell of smoke.

I soldiered on, trying my best to filter through the sensory overload I was receiving. It was exhausting, trying to ignore all the information vying for my attention. I halted abruptly, stiffening. The smell of smoke was getting stronger by the second. I turned in the direction of the smell, suddenly afraid. Was it a forest fire? I hadn't found anywhere besides the pond that would be safe from that.

My fear was assuaged when I heard the footfalls. An Arcanine was running through the woods at top speed, holding a Growlithe by the scruff of it's neck. As it charged past, the Growlithe gave me a pained look, and I realized who it was. If he went and got in trouble it was not of concern to me.

By the time the sun set I had yet to find a place to stop, but I could not keep going. I cleared a spot on the ground, and was quickly taken by a dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone! Once again I find myself writing when I should be sleeping. I do want to say that you shouldn't get used to this frequent posts, there might be times when it takes a week or more. It all depends on whether I feel like writing at the time, really. Anyways, on with the show!**

 **Wasmitheejr:** I'm glad you think so!

I awoke the next morning, my neck a bit stiff from sleeping on the ground, legs sore from the day's walking. Several other pokemon had passed this way, judging from both the smells and trampled bushes, but it seemed I hadn't been disturbed. What was disturbed was my stomach. It was only now I realized that I had yet to eat anything with this body, I hadn't felt hungry the previous day, but maybe my brain had made that connection as I slept.

I didn't really know a whole lot about what pokemon ate, that would be something a trainer would know and I had never even been allowed to have a pet. The full extent of my knowledge is that pokemon liked berries. I came to the conclusion that the best way to find something was to trust my nose.

After looking around the immediate area I identified three distinct berry bushes. One was a tall plant with bright red berries, which set off alarm bells ringing. I knew that in nature bright colors tends to mean poisonous. The other two bushes were low to the ground, one with yellow and green berries and the other with orange. I went with my gut and chose the orange one. The taste was nothing special in retrospect, but I was hungry to the point where it could have tasted like anything as long as it was edible.

Now that I wasn't starving to death, my thoughts once again turned back home. It had been at least two days by now, my mom alone in the house, waiting for me to return. I forced back tears. No, crying wouldn't get me anywhere. I had to figure out a way to get back to normal as soon as possible.

I took a deep breath, the way my chest expanded feeling more and more natural by the second, but wasn't that what I was afraid of? I exhaled sharply. No use just standing here.

I began walking again, just as aimless as before. I started to hum under my breath as I walked, something to distract my mind from the sadness I was feeling. I fell into a rhythm, my movement syncing up with my humming.

I had been walking for several hours before I heard it. Maybe heard is a bit of a misnomer, it was as if I thought it and yet didn't at the same time. A meeting has been called. All should come to the Gathering Stones at once. The voice echoed in my head, quite obviously psychic and not aural. Along with the message came a sense of direction, and I turned southward. Presumably that was the psychic's doing as well.

I walked, pressing forward with renewed speed. It wasn't more than four hours travel, and maybe, I hoped, someone at the meeting could help me.

By the time I reached the stones the sun was well into its descent from the sky. The individual stones themselves were small, but arranged into massive concentric circles they provided an amphitheater-esque space. In the very middle several pokemon, two of which I could see I could see. I could make out the body of a Houndoom, and I had a clear view of an Alakazam, presumably the latter being the one who had sent the message out.

The area has been mostly filled by the time I arrived. Maybe the pokemon around here occupied only a small section of the forest. I was in the very back of the crowd, my view almost completely obscured. The crowd was alive with speculation over why the meeting was called.

A deep voice boomed out. "We have gathered here for an announcement. A once-human has been found." The crowd went deathly silent. The Alakazam turned and looked directly at me. "And, or so he claims, there is another. Everyone here of age has passed the warriors challenge." The Houndoom waved a paw at the crowd, and I caught a glimpse of _him_ walking into the center. "The council has decided. This once-human must hunt the other if he is to join us."

My mind was still trying to process this when the voice of the Alakazam spoke in my head. Run. I will help you. Now! At the word now I was already off, sprinting as fast as I could with my new body. I chanced a glance back, it seemed no one had followed, maybe the Alakazam had made me go unnoticed.

I didn't slow down until I ended up tripping on a root in my haste. I took a few seconds to catch my breath before getting up. A society of warrior pokemon? Coming of age rituals involving killing other pokemon? As far as I knew this sort of thing was unheard of. Maybe if I had paid more attention in my pokemon classes…

I picked myself up and set off again, at more of a jog than a run, only to stop suddenly when I heard a loud pop behind me. I turned around to see the Alakazam, staring at me. It spoke in my mind once more. I have prevented them from following your trail with any ease, but they will find you eventually. You must prepare.

"Prepare for what exactly?" I asked. "I really don't know a whole lot of what is going on. I was just living my life as a human when yesterday I woke up like this." I gestured to myself with one paw.

It is only in recent months that Atorok, the Houndoom you saw, came to power. There was much slaughter. He instituted a right of passage, anyone who wanted to be part of the clan had to kill another to gain acceptance. The other once-human, Joshua, intends to kill you.

"So that's what I get for saving him then. Guess I'm the fool for thinking he would have been grateful for it." I said, disgusted.

Atorok's rhetoric already matched his worldview. He felt weak because he needed your help, so now he has a chance to prove himself as stronger. He's just embracing the animalism. What I need from you is this. Defeat Joshua. I plan to unseat Atorok via a death by a thousand cuts, I believe the phrase is. Atorok has put faith in Joshua, and a defeat will unsettle him.

"I'm not willing to kill him," I began, but the Alakazam cut me off.

I am not asking you to do so, only defeat him, but if your enemy is willing, it becomes a matter of survival. All you must do is incapacitate him.

I swallowed, my mouth dry. "So how do I win?" The Alakazam closed his eyes, and my mind flooded with visions of knowledge.

* * *

I moved with haste through the dense trees. The Alakazam was sending me regular updates on how much distance there was between me and my pursuers.

He had instructed me to attempt attacks on small trees if I felt like I had the time, so I waited until I had a full hour's lead. My chance came when the Alakazam informed me that they had missed my trail and gone off the wrong direction.

I slowed to a stop, panting. I had to keep going until midnight, at which point I should have a chance to rest. I grabbed a berry off of a nearby bush, pausing only to make sure it was edible before consuming it. The taste was sour, but it was better than nothing.

I double checked my surroundings. There were several thin saplings, like the Alakazam had suggested I practice on, but I had no clue what I was supposed to do. I stood there, mind blank, just staring at a tree. I shook my head after a few seconds. This was accomplishing nothing. I set off once more, scared of what was to come.

The goal of the running wasn't to escape; it was to let the excitement die down. I had to keep them trailing me for two days, as daunting as it sounded. This body was well suited for extended running at least, and the fact that they were only moving as fast as their slowest member gave me a leg up.

As I ran I hummed under my breath a song I recalled from the past. Humming quickly gave way to full on singing. "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord, he is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored…" I timed the syllables between footfalls. Almost ironic, that that was the song that came to mind. A war hymn, when the war was coming to me. "He's unleash'd the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword, his truth is marching on!"

The Alakazam spoke. They are starting to tire, just a little longer and you will be safe to stop for the night. You have an approximately half an hour lead, but do not delay. In addition, there has been a change of plans. You must head west, until you reach the pool of reflections. Gaze into its waters and reaffirm your self.

But why? I thought, unsure if the Alakazam was listening. There was no response forthcoming, so there was nothing to be done. I turned, transferring my momentum in the direction that had been provided.

It had barely been twenty minutes before the Alakazam spoke once more. They have stopped. Go on for now, the more of an advantage we have the better.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I was still full of adrenaline despite how long I had been running for, no doubt I would regret this in the near future.

I ran until the moon had risen a third of the way up the sky before stopping. I flopped over on the grass, still wide awake. It wasn't long before the adrenaline had vanished from my system and an uneasy sleep took me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again everyone! I hope you had a good weekend. Today's chapter is on the shorter end, but I would like to think that it's action packed**.

 **Wizpig12321** : I'm glad you like the concept! I find that my stories do tend to end up similar, so hopefully you end up liking this. Grammar is something I pride myself on, second to word choice. As far as chapter length I do what I do because I feel that the longer I write a chapter for the worse it tends to get. If I write for too long at once I get tired and make mistakes, and if I split it up between sessions the ideas get disjointed. Ues, it is the same universe as the others. The telepathy being done that was was an experiment that I think failed. Going in I will use quotation marks as I would for normal dialogue.

On with the show!

I don't know how long I slept. When I opened my eyes it was still dark, as the sun had not yet risen. I did not feel rested, my muscles stiff and thoughts panicked. I set off, my mind unfocused.

" _You have lost time, they awoke early and I had no way to rouse you."_ The Alakazam's voice rang clear. _"After you stop at the pool you will only be ten or so minutes ahead of them._ " I grimaced. This was all going wrong. I redoubled my pace, urging myself onwards.

I ran for an hour before I saw it. The reflecting pool was unmistakable, it's waters perfectly still. I slowed to a walk as I approached the edge of the lake. I gazed down at my reflection, and saw myself. Not the me I was now, but the me I was before, only three days ago, before it was all ripped away.

Tears welled up in my eyes. I had lost so much. I had adjusted to this body, something I had told myself I hadn't wanted. With a pang I realized my mom had evaded my thoughts for all of yesterday.

 _"No matter your form, you are still human inside. Joshua had embraced the animal, but you must do the opposite. Remember this._ " The Alakazam said in my mind _. "Now, once you are ready, go. Run until they catch up, which is at this point inevitable. Find a place to fight on your terms_.

I still stared, gazing at the me that was. "Will I ever go back?" I wondered aloud, sniffling as the tears ran down my face. There was only silence as my answer.

I shook my head to clear the tears from my eyes. Sadness had been replaced by a heavy sense of dread. I turned and ran, scared once more for my life.

If I hadn't been watching in front of me as closely I might have ran into him. The massive Houndoom, towering over me. I stopped on a dime, refusing to back up as I met his gaze.

"Coward." He rumbled, his eyes burning with hatred. "Prey." He almost spat the word at me.

"You call it cowardice, I call it self preservation." I retorted. I wanted no more to just turn and run, but something made me stay. He snorted, smoke exiting his nose as he did. I glanced around. I was surrounded, every possible escape walled off with bodies.

I heard a laugh behind me. I turned around to see that it was Jos - no, I refused to use that name. It was him, the ungrateful bastard.

"I should have left you in the cliff to starve." I said, my eyes fixed in him.

He laughed once again. "And you didn't, because you're weak. You've always been weak. You could never defend yourself from me. You still can't."

He lowered himself into something resembling a fighting stance. In an instant he pounced at me, bowling into me and knocking me on my back. I lashed out with my rear legs, pushing him away for long enough to right myself. The surrounding pokemon had moved with us, keeping us in the center of the circle.

He growled, a surprisingly guttural sound for something his size, and then leapt again, jaws open. I felt them snap shut on my leg, and I cried out in pain. I headbutted him, and pulled my leg out as his grip loosened.

In that moment I had clarity. He was attacking savagely, but with little forethought, as an animal would attack. Humans mastered nature through rational thought. I had to do the same.

He was preparing to pounce again. I quickly backed up, making more distance than he could leap. He had to change his stance to rush forward, going for a charge.

I dodged slightly to the side, shooting out a leg to trip him as he tried to correct his direction. He was sent careening to the ground, rolling into a tree. He roared at me, this sound much less threatening than the growl as his voice cracked during it.

I went in the offensive, pushing my advantage by feigning lunges, only to pull back instead of springing forward. After the third feint I attacked for real, slamming into him and pushing him back several feet.

I carried through my momentum, ending up on top of him. He gazed up at me, fear in his eyes. I kicked him in the face, knocking him out.

It was only as the glow began to condense around me that I realized where we had ended up. Three feet to my left was the Moss Stone.

The light intensified, coalescing in me as I gazed at the stone, not fully comprehending what was happening to me.

Bones shifted. Muscles grew rapidly to fill in the gaps. I heard a low hum, and felt a prickly sensation all over. My vision blurred then refocused, but everything was tinted green.

As suddenly as it had begun, it ceased. I felt invigorated, as though the fight and the run leading up to it had never happened. Everything seemed to have shrunk, or had I grown?

I looked down at myself. My fur had changed to a lighter color, and there was a leaf like a tuft of fur growing from my chest.

I had evolved.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again everyone! I just had several papers due, which means that I had more free time today to write this for you guys. Hope you're all having a good week so far, and enjoy the chapter!**

 **Teraunce** : Thanks! The moss stone was a very obvious Chekhov's gun, I must admit.

 **Guest** : I'm glad you like it! I plan to continue it for a while. I'm not sure on your request though, I might do it so that Tobias has a foil other than Joshua, or I might not to differentiate it from my other stories,

 **Wizpig12321:** As I said in reply to Teraunce, it was a very obvious example of Chekhov's gun. The evolution choice came about in two ways. For one, if you were to go down my list of favorite pokemon you would see Glaceon, Umbreon, Leafeon. For another, it fits the story very well. I kind of built towards it both bottom up and top down.

 **Altar699:** I always love to get positive feedback. I'm assuming you mean upload instead of download.

I could feel the eyes staring at me. Everyone was silent, motionless, the still eventually broken by a small pop. The Alakazam had arrived. It stood in place, joining the silence. I was scared. Were they just going to attack me? I had no clue what new abilities I might have gained when evolving, but I doubted I could fight off this many combattants.

 **On to the story!**

The standoff continued for a few minutes before the Alakazam spoke. Not his usual telepathy, he actually spoke this time. "I told you the boy was unstable. He did not think, and he was defeated."

The Houndoom growled. "I asked-" He started, but was not allowed to finish.

The Alakazam's eyes flared purple, and Joshua groaned, signifying his waking. "I do not care. You ignored my advice, and you have paid the price. I trust it will not happen again." The Alakazam said, and with that, he vanished, another pop signifying his departure.

The Houndoom was visibly angered. "Let's go." He said through gritted teeth.

A faceless voice from among the encircling pokemon arose. "What of the once humans?"

The Houndoom glared at me. "Joshua failed, and this one is too soft. Leave them, for now. But if you ever see them again, don't hesitate to kill them."

The surrounding group filed away, until the Houndoom was the only one left. He rounded on Joshua, who had gotten back on his feet. Joshua seemed to shrink down, making himself smaller as the larger pokemon approached.

The Houndoom growled the words, barely audible to me. "I don't want to ever see you again. You're weak. You lost to someone who is weak. You're nothing."

Joshua didn't react. He just stood there, staring blankly. The Houndoom then left, just turned and walked away, leaving us alone.

"It's all your damn fault." Joshua said.

I grimaced. "Don't act like a child, blaming someone else for your failings. You lost because you didn't think, and lost yourself to your own aggression." I gazed down at him, conflicted emotions coursing through my mind. Hate and pity were hard to express at the same time.

"I had a chance at being truly appreciated for being me. I never had that as a human. Your dad this, your trust fund that. Bullshit, all of it!" He shouted the last sentence. He was visibly crying now, tears dripping from his face. "I'd rather be like this than be human. Humans are the real animals."

I felt vindicated, my bully had a worse experience of life than I did. "You're a fool, then." I said. "An animal cannot feel compassion the way a human can. You see the worst in people, try and see the best for once."

I turned to walk away. He didn't move to stop me, so I set off. I had taken only two steps before he spoke. "I'm sorry."

The words were quiet, but unmistakable. I looked back towards him. "I'm sorry." He repeated, stronger this time. "I thought you were weak because you saved me. I told myself that you were a fucking idiot for helping me. But I was so, so wrong, and I think I see that now." He took a step towards me. "You're stronger than I could ever be, because you were willing to let me redeem myself, and I fucked it up."

I raised my eyebrows. "And how much of that do you actually believe?" I asked.

"Less than half." He replied.

I sighed. Hopefully this wouldn't come back to bite me like it had last time. "It's a start. Follow me, I guess."

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"I dunno." I replied. "Somewhere away from the people who want us dead."

"I'm down for that." He replied, frowning.

We set off, walking in the direction opposite the way the Houndoom had gone. Joshua kept behind me, silent as we walked. I tried to focus on my motions. My actions felt fluid, practiced, yet I had only just changed. It was as if evolution had planted the knowledge in my mind, much unlike the transition between human and pokemon.

This is truly the opposite of what I had wanted for myself. Along that line of thought, what was my true self at this point? If I had evolved and adjusted this quickly, could I still say that my real form was human? Was this body any less real? I had never been big on philosophy, but the thoughts pressed upon my mind, inescapable, consuming my conscience.

It crossed my mind to ask Joshua for his opinion on the matter, but I quickly put that thought to rest. More likely he would laugh me off than give an honest response. I still didn't know why I decided to give him a second chance. It was spur of the moment more than anything.

It was the thought of my mom that pulled me back to reality, grounding my thoughts. This was at least the fourth day I had been gone. I thought of her, waiting for me to come home, and I felt sorry. It was a paradoxical sorry, I had no hand in this change, and yet I felt the need to apologise, as if it was all my fault. My fault that I vanished, my fault that I had been changed, my fault I evolved.

I knew it wasn't true, but then why did it feel as though it was?

* * *

The being floated above the forest, mentally observing the two that it had changed. The Growlithe was internally seething because it had lost its fight, but still had gained respect for the other. The newly evolved Leafeon was thinking of it's past, getting all sappy and philosophical. The being delighted in having knowledge others didn't, and what the Leafeon didn't know was that he had been kept in stasis for months. Even if he found a way to return to a human form his mind would shatter at the shock. It was too late for him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello again everyone! Please note that reviews seem to be delayed with showing up on the site for whatever reason, so if I don't reply to your review it's probably because it's not visible to me. Don't have much to say so let's just get on with it.**

 **Rocker on:** I'll reply to all five reviews you left. As for the language use, I use foul language when Joshua speaks to give insight to his character. The story is rated T, I don't feel bad about using swears. I'm not sure who you are referring to with your ch 3 and 4 reviews, hopefully one of the characters because it's rather creepy. I'm also not sure what you mean by the story needing more "meat on the bones". If it's about chapter length, deal with it. This is how I write. If not, please elaborate so I can improve.

 **Shieldliger001:** Thanks! I do think that I have improved in the year since I finished my last fanfic, and I will definitely keep it up.

 **On with the show!**

We walked in silence, Joshua still trailing behind me a few feet. I could tell from the sound of his footsteps that he was agitated. The sun had just begun to set, casting a red glow through the gaps in the trees. I stopped to look at the sunset, causing Joshua to almost bump into me. He grumbled under his breath, shaking his head.

I was spared asking what was wrong my the light pop that accompanied the Alakazam's appearance. He spoke to my thoughts this time. " _Thank you for your assistance, I'm glad you were not injured, and congratulations on your evolution. If there is anything I can do to help you, just think it. Joshua is receiving a different message, so do not speak it aloud."_

 _Is there any way I could turn back human again?_ I focused on the thought, unsure of what else to do.

" _I know not,"_ The Alakazam replied, " _but greater, stronger, wiser beings exist than I. I leave you with a warning. Be wary of Joshua. He will not betray you, but he is unruly, dangerous. He still embraces the animal, and the hierarchy of power."_ The Alakazam bowed to both of us, bidding farewell, before it vanished with another pop.

"He scares me." Joshua said after a pause. "I don't like how he could pry out all someone's secrets if he wanted."

I considered that. "I guess." I replied. "It doesn't seem like he's the type to do that." Maybe the thought should have scared me more than it did regardless, and yet… I let the thought trail off.

We fell back into silence, and I began to walk again. The crunch of twigs behind me told me that Joshua was following behind once again. "What was it like at home for you?" He asked, at length.

I glanced back at him. He was looking down as he walked, carefully placing his steps. "My mom worked, dad died two years ago. She took care of me though." I answered, each word considered before speaking.

Joshua was silent, and with no reply forthcoming I turned my attention away. A few minutes later he spoke again. "I envy that. Having someone who actually cares. If my parents have noticed I'm gone by now it's because I haven't been spending money." His tone was bitter. "They never cared. Loved their bank account balance more than me."

I didn't know what to say to that. I was starting to get the feeling that, if given the chance to be human again, Joshua and I would make different choices. The sun had fully set by now, and I was starting to feel tired. "We should stop, it's getting late." I said. Joshua mumbled something, presumably an affirmation.

I found a spot where the sky was clearly visible and curled up on the ground. Joshua set himself down almost ten feet away. I closed my eyes, and sleep took me quickly.

* * *

When I awoke in the morning the first thing I noticed was that I wasn't hungry, despite having not ate anything the previous night. The second was how thirsty I was. It didn't take me to connect the two. I was plant type now, after all, it made sense that I could use photosynthesis.

Joshua was still asleep, so I decided to go look for a pond or stream to drink from. It didn't long to find a small stream winding through the woods, I just looked for where the vegetation was denser and went that direction. As I drank it felt as though energy were welling up inside me.

It wasn't a wild, uncontainable force, quite the contrary. It was as if there were calm pool of energy, heightening my senses and strengthening my body as I slowly pulled from it.

I bounded off, back towards where I had left Joshua. I arrived back, and my heart sank. He was missing. Had he woken up and wandered off? No, it's not like he was a child or anything. I tried to find his scent, and found it muddled with another I did not recognize. In the distance I heard a yelp.

I followed their trail at a sprint. I would end up blaming myself if he got hurt, it would have been my fault I left him alone.

They were only a hundred or so feet away. Joshua, his fur bloodied, and an Absol, looming over him, left paw stained red.

I didn't hesitate to strike. Following my instinct, I pulled from my well of energy. I ran past the Sbsol, slicing at it with my tail as I passed. I caught sight of a green glow in the corner of my eye.

I turned around. I had opened a gash along the Absol's side. The pokemon staggered, shocked at the attack. It hadn't noticed me coming at all. It quickly recovered, however. Glancing over at Joshua, it sneered. "Need a friend to fight your battles for you, pup? Let's do this then!"

It leapt at me with ferocity, jaws open, ready to bite. I called upon the power I could feel within me, condensing a pall of it in front of me. I saw the Absol swerve as it formed, attempting to dodge. The pokemon angled it's feet slightly, signaling a turn back towards me, and at that moment I fired. The Absol lost it's balance as it struggled to change its momentum.

The sphere of raw power left a green trail in its wake as it slammed into the Absol. It grunted as it was blasted backwards, landing on its side. "You don't fight like a normal pokemon." It snarled. "Once-human. You're too soft to go for the kill." It spat on the ground, a fleck of blood visible. It got up, and began to slink away, watching me the whole time.

I moved over to Joshua, and asked "Are you ok?"

He looked at me, anger and frustration in his eyes. "I didn't need you to help me." He mumbled.

"It very much seemed like you did." I replied, raising my eyebrows.

"I said I didn't need your help!" He shouted it this time. "I don't care what you think, I can handle myself on my own!" He turned away and began to limp off into the woods. I couldn't force him to accept help, I decided. He had to want it before I could do anything, otherwise this would just keep repeating itself. I watched him vanish between the trees, and sighed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello again everyone! I hope you've had a good Columbus Day to my fellow Americans. To everyone else, I hope you had a nice weekend. Slightly shorter chapter today, I ran into a bit of writers block along with marathoning all three seasons of RWBY since the 4th is premiering soon.**

 **Rocker On:** I set up email notifications so I got your reviews even though they aren't visible on site yet. The idea of this story is for it to be very introspective, and more focus on the characters than environments. That said, I will work on it. Karma isn't a factor in the real world, nor in this story. I'm not sure where you're getting deadpool from. Also what? I have no clue what you mean by that last bit, but if you want me to write you as a character, no for more reasons than I can list here.

 **On with the story!**

Once again, alone. I kept on trekking, walking in the same direction as before. In that moment I wondered if Joshua had changed at all. His whole speech he used to convince me to let him come had fit what I wanted to hear, but even he had admitted that it wasn't fully true. How much of it was? If Joshua still cared so much for the appearance of power to the point where me helping him was unacceptable, then what could I do?

I tried to clear my thoughts, organize what I wanted to get done. My primary goal was to figure out how I can become human again. The Alakazam had mentioned more powerful beings than him, so I guessed I had to find one of those.

The only thing that sprang to mind were legendary pokemon. The issue there was in their name: legendary. Most of these pokemon were only known of through rumor and stories. Not knowing where in the world I was meant I had no hope of reaching any of the few known locations either.

I passed through a clearing, the sun shining straight down on me. My tail quivered, the sensation of photosynthesis coming to the fore of my mind. It passed my thoughts that I should find a pond and look at my reflection. I hadn't since before evolving, and wasn't fully sure of how a Leafeon looked.

I kept moving, towards my nebulous goal of away. It was marvelously convenient to not need to eat and instead derive energy from the sun. I only had to worry about water, and not about dieing because I ate the wrong berry.

I found myself enjoying the solitude of walking alone. I had felt tense with Joshua by my side, I couldn't forget what he had done in the past. Was there a distinct line somewhere? I didn't believe anything separated his personality into human and animal, for I hadn't changed my mindset at all. Had I?

I had no way to know for sure. If I was thinking differently then I might not be able to tell, or a shift might be too gradual to notice. The only person who had known me before had abandoned me less than a day after agreeing to join me, so there was noone who could give me the answer I sought.

Frustrated, I took a look at the forest around me. Was it just me or were the trees becoming less dense? It seemed that there was more light breaking through the gaps than before. The greenery along the forest floor was giving way to dirt and rocks at an increasing rate.

In minutes I had reached the edge of the forest. It stopped rather abruptly, the trees forming a curve off in the distance. Before me stretched rolling hills, no real features in sight. I was at a loss for what to do. _I should turn back, I don't know what could be out there_. I thought, then paused. I wasn't sure where the thought had come from, I had never been that afraid of the unknown, but now it gnawed at me.

I stood there, the sun beginning to set behind me, clouds preventing the colors from seeping through to the north. I hesitated one more moment before turning back towards the forest.I began to walk once more, my heart heavy, the shame I felt about not continuing unable to be quelled.

I lay down to sleep at the foot of a tall oak, the forest floor and my misery my only comfort. I thought of my mom, of home, and tears ran down my face at the thought that I might never return.

* * *

The being sighed with relief. It couldn't have its playthings too far apart to monitor simultaneously, now could it? It lazily floated above the forest, unaffected by the currents of wind that blew around it, pink tail swishing back and forth and back and forth...

* * *

The sound of thunder awoke me. It was still dark, and I felt exhausted despite the sleep I had had. I shivered, my soaked fur failing to trap any heat. The leaves hadn't covered the angle the rain was falling at.

I got up off the muddy ground. I began to walk again, still not fully awake, looking for somewhere dryer. One cold, miserable hour later, I found it. A cave entrance in the side of a small hill, which towered over the rest of the mostly flat forest. I stayed just inside the entrance, unwilling to explore what lay within. I did not sleep, after the walk I no longer felt tired, just impatient.

Water trickled down from my fur to the ground, and from there deeper into the cave. Only a few feet into the tunnel it was pitch black, as if light itself refused to venture onwards. I lay there, on the cold stone ground, the pouring rain my companion for my vigil.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello again everyone! Sorry about the wait, but you may have to get used to it. I've been less motivated to work on this recently, and have another project (not pokemon related but still fanfiction) that's taken up an inordinate amount of time. I'll probably post it soon, but it'll be very unrelated to what I have so far on this site.**

 **Rocker on:** I don't really play minecraft anymore. I last played maybe two years ago, around when I first started writing on this site. I had that story in my favorites for over a year, I had already read it. I will be adding more characters eventually, but maybe not entangled in that way.

 **Shieldliger001:** As I've said (I believe), this is very much a character study piece. I like that portrait vs landscape analogy though, I may borrow that. I'm glad you like the mew setup, I really did try and show it being sadistic and uncaring. As for the realism and fantasy balance, I'm glad that I did well with it. I do write for the purpose of escape, but the more realistic a fantasy the easier it is to see oneself in it. I don't find this boring at all, the quasi-philosophy behind my writing is something that I love to explore.

 **On with the story!**

The sun did not rise the next morning, obscured by the clouds. I ended up eating some berries to try and get some energy, but the lack of sun and my lack of sleep meant that my efforts were futile. I resolved to just walk, heading back into the forest. There was one thing I realized that I could do to keep exploring. I estimated that it was a full day's walk, at the very least. I felt this newfound sense of direction, of something that I knew I had to do. It felt good to have a purpose.

I took in the sights as I walked, more than before. I felt more a part of nature than I ever had as a human, I realized, before I quickly pushed the thought from my mind. I had to get home, I didn't want this. Didn't I? I could never admit it, even to myself, but I had grown used to this, and despite all my efforts it had begun to grow on me.

The day passed by uneventfully, which was a first. I had expected to get to my destination by sunset but it seemed like that wasn't going to happen. The sky had remained cloudy the entire day, and with my energy depleted, I had to stop. I laid down under a tree, and sleep took me quickly.

* * *

I arose the next morning, rejuvenated by the sun. It was still early in the morning, but I felt like I could run forever, the previous day's melancholy dispersed into the aether. I reached the cliff only ten minutes after I had started to walk. It was just as oppressively steep as I had remembered, an indomitable wall that I stood atop of, and I wanted to descend it. I stood there, staring down to the forest canopy a hundred feet below me. The wind was loud, roaring in my ears as I contemplated my next move.

I identified an outcropping, maybe ten feet below where I stood. A deep breath in, then out, and I stepped off. The sensation of weightlessness as I stepped off was terrifying. I landed on the outcropping, managing to land on my feet. I let my knees bend, absorbing the force of the landing. I moved to the edge, looking for another place to land.

The next place I could see was maybe twenty feet down, a tree growing out of the cliff face. One breath in, one breath out. I channelled energy to my tail, and as I stepped off I caught a green glow behind me. As I fell I slammed my tail back into the rock, cutting through the stone, the resistance slowing my descent to the point where I could safely catch the tree, digging my claws into one of the bigger branches.

As I struggled to get on my feet, I heard the flapping of wings. I looked up to see a pidgey standing on the branch in front of me. "What are you doing up here? Are you crazy!" It said, it's voice high pitched.

"I'm trying to get down, what does it look like I'm doing?" I said.

"So you're crazy then." It said.

I sighed. "Quite possibly, given that less than a week ago I was a human."

The pidgey went positively insane. "Oh my god I've only heard stories about things like this! I'm seeing a once-human in the flesh, I can't wait to tell dad about this!" It flew off, leaving me alone once again. With that distraction gone, I continued to descend, drawing on more and more power to slow my fall each time I dropped further and further towards the forest canopy.

I ended up five feet above the leaves, breathing heavily. The last drop hadn't been easy and I was nearly spent. It was still so early in the day, the sun barely a third of the way up the sky. One last leap, I could do this. I got ready, one more breath in, one last breath out. I leapt, overestimating the distance. I saw the tree as if it were rushing up to meet me, and then everything went black.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello again everyone! Sorry about the wait, but please understand that I write as an escape from daily life, and my other project captured my imagination more than this for the past few weeks. I don't see that changing in the near future, so expect to wait similar lengths for new chapters.**

 **Theghostsaint21:** I'm glad you like it, I'm really focusing this story on the character of Tobias, and trying to explore who he is.

 **Rocker On:** I believe I got the right one deleted. I don't think that the delay will have me losing attention, I would hope that my work is good enough to keep people coming back after a wait.

 **NameUnrelated:** We most certainly will, in time.

I awoke, a splitting headache clouding my thoughts. It seemed that little time had passed, the sun hadn't budged from its last place in the sky. I took in my surroundings as best I could, trying to push past the headache. The cliff face stretched above me, the trees in it's shadow stunted from lack of sun.

I had to keep going, I decided. I felt this irrational fear, that if I were to wait for too long I would give up. I set out, away from the cliff, struggling to be vigilant as my head pounded. The forest here was thicker than it had been on the cliff above, and I found myself winding through trees more than staying on a path.

Around an hour past my departure, I heard the rush of running water nearby. I headed towards it; hoping that something to drink might help my head. I reached it in seconds. A large river, maybe forty feet across, turning out of sight no more than a hundred feet down and up stream. I lowered my head to the water, drinking my fill. The sun shone down on me, no longer hindered by the trees.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing in our territory!"

I nearly choked on the water when I heard the voice behind me. I turned around slowly. A flareon stood behind me, looking rather pompous. "I don't want any trouble, I'm just passing through." I said, slowly. My head still hurt, I was struggling to think straight. I couldn't fight in this condition. I probably wouldn't take this fight at full strength, fire was something I would rather avoid.

"This is the territory of Ramiro Garcia, my father. He has decreed that none may pass through without tribute." The flareon said.

Tribute? What would pokemon have to give as tribute? "Since when," I asked. "Do wild pokemon use human last names."

The flareon froze in place, her dark eyes staring at me. "You know about humans? Do you know where any are? How do you know about them? I'd so love to meet some!" The sudden change in attitude was bewildering.

I was starting to feel better, the water and sunlight converting to energy within my cells. Photosynthesis is quite the handy trick. "I am one, or at least I used to be." I said.

She looked at me, eyes widening. "I think I should bring you to see my father." She said. "Follow me." With that she headed off into the forest, and I followed close behind. If my intuition was correct, her father was another one like me.

I still had a dull pain in my head but it had dwindled to the point where I could properly take in my surroundings. The trees, in addition to being more numerous, were thicker in width and seemed taller than the ones above the cliff had. This section of forest must have been far older.

"So how long have you been like this?" The flareon asked, glancing behind her to ensure I was still following. I noticed her voice had inflections I recognized, having been required to take a foreign language at school.

"I've lost track of the days." I admitted, both to her and myself. "No more than a week, I think." In all that had happened it must have slipped my mind, or I hurt my head worse than I thought. I could still see my mom in my mind's eye, and so I could keep going. Nothing else mattered.

"My dad was changed seven years ago as of yesterday." She said, confirming my suspicion. Seven years was a long time. If he had been this way that long, then it was unlikely he could help me. Still, it was better than blindly searching.

We approached a crude set of gated walls, logs forming loose barriers, the gate of sticks and vines threatening to collapse at any moment. I followed the flareon through the entryway, studying the walls further. No wild pokemon would think to build walls in this manner.

"Papà, I'm home!" She called out. It was strange, how I perceived her voice to have a common accent when it was surely not english.

Another flareon, significantly larger than the one who had let me here stood before us. "And who is this? Is he here to pay tribute?" His voice was similarly accented.

"No, papà, he is a once-human, like you!" She said.

The larger flareon stared at me. "Alejandra, how do you know?"

"He… told me." She said, with a pause.

"Oh, Alejandra, you're so trusting. Tell me," the flareon turned to address me. "What is your name, and your proof?"

"My name is Tobias. As for proof…" I tried calm my nerves, and it was then that I remembered. "I remember being told stories. Seven years ago, a student at Willowbranch High School in Elberton by the name of Ramiro vanished, last seen heading out on a hike with his friend Pietro. Neither of their bodies were recovered." How could I have forgotten. The tales that the older kids told to scare the younger, stories of ghosts and demons and witches who ate middle schoolers whole with a side of eyeballs. Speculation about Ramiro and Pietro had been in the tormentors repertoire for years.

"You don't say." The larger flareon said. "So people still talk about us. If only Pietro were still with us to hear it. He passed away last year, never stopped searching for a way back till the very end." He preempted my question.

"I was wondering if you knew how I could get back." I admitted. "But it sounds like you don't."

Ramiro dipped his head. "Admittedly, I have no clue. Pietro spent so much time searching, but all he found is that he would need one of the pokemon of legend to help him."

"I figured that much out myself, but I have no clue where to look. I've only been like this for about a week, I don't know where I am, what to do…" I said, trailing off.

Ramiro closed his eyes for a second before he spoke. "Listen, Tobias. I have always felt shame. Shame that I stopped looking, shame at what I had become, shame that I was never as brave as Pietro. Shame is a human emotion, unknown to the wilds of this world. I clung to my shame, and with it my sanity. Don't give up, ever. If you give up, you will lose what makes you human, and por Dios what a terrible thing to lose."

He turned to address Alejandra. "Alejandra, you know the place where Pietro searched last. Lead Tobias there, then follow him on his journey." He had a sad look in his eyes.

"But papà.." She said, eyes widening.

"Alejandra. You are old enough to handle yourself. I trust Tobias out of a sense of kinship; I understand the feeling of wanting nothing more to return. Lastly… You are far more human than I. You were born a pokemon, but you were never like the wild ones. I became like them, but you inherited the most human parts of me. I could never go back now, but you could go in my stead. You have always wanted to meet humans, no? Well go and find them."

I was dumbfounded. This was some heavy talk, and I felt like I was intruding on family business by being here. I glanced over at Alejandra. Her surprise had been replaced by determination. "I will try. Goodbye, papà." She said, then turned to me. "Well, what are we waiting for, let's go!" She turned to leave, walking back in the direction we had arrived from.

"Take care of my daughter. I'm counting on you." Ramiro said, staring at Alejandra as she left.

"I'll do my best." I said, taking one last glance behind me as I turned away. Things were starting to move quickly, all of a sudden. I could only hope I could keep up.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello again everyone. Recent events, both in my life and nationally, have necessitated that I spend more time than usual on distracting myself. This means you guys get this chapter earlier than expected. Also, my ideas for this story also have been flowing better than before, so maybe expect closer to a chapter a week.**

 **Myself:** So one has. As far as her nature, we'll see…

 **Shieldliger001:** We'll be seeing more from Ramiro in the near future. I don't believe I've read Minor Miscalculation, I'll give it a look. I'm glad you like her character. Thanks for catching that run-on, I wasn't fully awake when I wrote that section I think. "In all that happened" is actually correct, just not a common phrase.

 **Rocker on:** I think you may have forgot that the Mew said he can't go back, but he doesn't know that yet. It's dramatic irony. His mom might not be as surprised as you would think, if that were to happen. I won't say any more than that.

 **On with the story!**

I followed her through the woods, the sun's descent staining the sky orange. We had been walking for almost an hour before she broke our silence."What did he mean, that I am more human than him, I can't make sense of it. I was born a pokemon, how could I be more human?" She glanced back at me, and I could tell that she was not sad, but contemplative.

"I don't get it either." I admitted.

"Anyways, I like myself the way I am, why would I want to change? I want to meet humans, not be one." She said. "Why do you want to go back, anyways?"

I was starting to get irritated. "I had a life before this, you know? My mom's out there, waiting for me to come back home to her, and I can't do that like this."

Alejandra stopped in her tracks, turning around to face me. "I- I'm sorry, I didn't realize. Don't worry, we'll get you turned back into a human in no time, you'll see." She turned back, walking with redoubled pace.

I wasn't sure what I thought of her, on one hand she seemed to be rather concerned for me for having only met me an hour ago, but she also seemed careless in some ways. Either way, I was counting on her to show me the way to my only lead.

"How far away is this place?" I asked.

She kept her gaze forward as she spoke, not deviating from the path. "Almost two days walk, we'll be traveling for a while. "

I sighed, softly. No rest for the weary, I guess. I had spent so much of the past week constantly on the move, and that didn't seem like it would be changing any time soon. In all honesty that might be a good thing. Ramiro had said that if I stopped looking I would lose what made me human, and as I could not afford for that outcome to come to pass.

We walked on, until almost two hours had past since the sun set. "Can we stop for the night?" I asked. "I'm part plant, I can't keep my energy up with the sun down."

"Alright." She said, turning back towards me. I sat down near the base of a nearby tree, Alejandra taking a spot a few feet away. "Can you tell me about what humans are like?"

I thought for a minute. "That's… a difficult question to answer. We aren't that much different than pokemon, really, but we're more complicated in some ways. The biggest difference I can think of is societal structure."

"Is it better?" Alejandra asked. "Human society?"

"I don't know. There's far more structure, but the structure is often exploited for personal gain. We humans can be terrible, commit greater acts of cruelty than any pokemon. It's all too easy to forget that we're all animals, in the end."

"You're making humans sound awful, but I'm not dumb enough to accept that at face value." She said.

"You're right," I admitted. " there's more to it. We are capable of great acts and works, from literature to architecture to countless others. It's almost absurd how much people differ."

"So then they're just like pokemon. We can be good or bad as well, it varies from individual to individual." Alejandra said.

"I don't know what to tell you, we are different from you, just…" I trailed off, searching for the best word. "I need to get some rest." I curled up, resting my head on the ground, and closed my eyes. Sleep came to me quickly.

I arose with the sun, finding Alejandra already awake. "Are you ready to get going?" She asked. "If we hurry we might be able to get there tonight."

I yawned. "Just a minute. Not all the way awake yet."

"Come on, don't you want to get back to normal as soon as possible?" She said.

I frowned. "Of course I do, but-"

"Then let's go!" She set off, not waiting for a response. I had to run to catch up, still sluggish and tired. She looked back at me as she walked, glancing forward occasionally so as to not run into trees. "I still don't really understand the appeal of being human, but I'll help you, not because my dad told me to, but because I want to. We'll get you back to your mom in no time."

"Thanks." I said. "I really appreciate the help." She turned her gaze back forward, almost too quickly.

We trudged in in silence for a while, the ground becoming more and more rocky, and the land began to curve uphill. "If your mom was a non-issue, would you choose to be human or pokemon?" She asked.

"Human." I said, almost too quickly. In truth I didn't know, but that frightened me. I felt as if I voiced that I would be somehow failing my mom and myself.

"Hmm." Was her only reply.

* * *

In the sky above the forest, battle raged between beings of immense power. "You must allow me to help them!" The being said aloud, the words preceding a psychic blast.

"Like you 'helped' the last one? I won't let you kill another!" The other replied, twin tails swishing as it blocked the psychic attack. "They are under my protection, Mew!"

"You should never have left Sinnoh, lake spirit!" The entity, Mew yelled. How long since it had used its mouth instead of telepathy? Three hundred years, 108 days, 3 hours, 51 minutes, 2, 3, 4 seconds by its own count.

"It's too late. They crossed the barrier, you can't touch them." The other, Mesprit, said.

Mew hissed. "You interfered beyond your normal range, nothing else could have blocked my messages."

"You don't even care about their lives, do you? Only your own entertainment." Mesprit said, shimmering as it disappeared. "Now farewell, torturer of innocents. Why can't you leave them alone?"

* * *

"This is it." Alejandra said. The sun had set, the moon beginning its ascent to the heavens. We stood before the mouth of a cave, carved into the side of a hill. It was eerily similar to the one I had sought shelter from the rain in, smooth walls, not natural in the slightest.

"Should we enter?" I asked.

"I'm not sure." She responded, staring down into the darkness.

" _There is no need."_ The voice echoed through my head, not dissimilar from when the Alakazam had spoken to my mind. There was a shimmer in the air around us, and a pokemon appeared. The being had a grey-blue body and a pink structure reminiscent of hair atop its head. Twin tails swished through the air, the being floating in place. " _I am Mesprit, bringer of emotion, and I have heard your plea. Come, children, let us talk."_


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello again everyone! I hope you've all had a good weekend. I've got a month before finals, so expect the second week of december to be slow or devoid of updates.**

 **Rocker On:** The "we're all animals" thing is Tobias's philosophy, not mine. I have an odd relationship with God and religion. I identify as Jewish for cultural reasons, but I'm undecided on the issue of God. I have a hard time reconciling the 'god has a plan' thing with 'god gave us free will', even after spending an evening talking with an orthodox Rabbi. On the topic of the story, they aren't in Sinnoh, they are actually on Kalos. I don't have a concrete reason why Mesprit was there, maybe just sightseeing or something. Note that I said that Mew said he can't go back, not that he can't go back. I read Curse of the Lucario a long time ago.

 **Shieldliger001:** It's just a wording I decided I liked. There's nothing grammatically wrong with it, but it's not a phrase that's really used.

Mesprit gazed at us with unblinking eyes, yellow orbs that seemed to glow in the darkness. " _Child,"_ It said telepathically. " _Allow me to read your memories, then I will tell you what I can do_." As it spoke, I felt an alien presence touch my mind, thoughts incomprehensible, as old as time. Some I recognized, compassion, pity, anger.

I closed my eyes, and welcomed it in. The flashback was vivid, as though I were reliving the day it had happened. I saw myself being bit by Joshua's growlithe, my run home, my collapse on the bed. The memory rewound, focusing on the sun in the sky. I saw myself awake, in my foreign body, the memory once more turned to the sun.

I snapped back to reality, eyes readjusting to the darkness of the night. "I am sorry, child." Mesprit said, not in my mind, but with it's true voice. It didn't sound any different. "You didn't reach me in time."

My heart sank. "What do you mean?" I asked, quietly.

"If a human is in the body of a pokemon for more than a month, their mind adapts in a way that cannot be reversed. If you were to be turned back, your mind would break, and not even the strongest psychics could save you."

"But it's only been a week." I said. "I don't understand."

Mesprit closed its eyes, and I could see a tear running down its cheek. "The sun. There is at least a month missing from your memory, the position of the sun showed that."

I felt dead inside. There was no hope, no return. "Child." Mesprit said. "I can give you one thing; a chance to talk to your mother. Not for long, but it's the least I can do."

I didn't know what to say. I felt as if my emotions had been run through a dryer, spinning and undulating. "Then do not say, child. Do." Mesprit said. I should have realized it had been listening to my thoughts.

"That chance is more than I could hope for." I said, softly. I felt a strange tugging sensation, not physical or mental, but something else.

My eyes closed.

My eyes opened, but not quite. It was as though I was not really there. I looked down. I saw myself, my human body, wisps of energy outlining me. I looked left. The kitchen, just as it had always been. To my left, a girl. Her hair was a fiery gold, and while I had never seen her before, I recognized her immediately.

"Tobias?" Alejandra asked. "Is that you?"

"Yeah." I said. "Follow me." I took a step forward into the darkened house, my footstep making no noise. One step at a time, I made my way to my mom's room.

The door was slightly ajar, and I heard soft singing from inside. I couldn't discern the words. I put my hand on the door, the hinges squeaking at even the slight movement.

The singing stopped. "Who's there?" I heard her say, and tears came to my eyes.

I pushed the door open fully. "It's me." I said.

My mom was in bed, propped up on her elbows, the covers pulled up to her waist. She gave a sad, almost mournful smile. "I'm so glad to see you, but this isn't the real you, is it?" She spoke slowly, great love and great pain in her words

I shook my head, the tears now in full force, disappearing almost instantly into aether after departing my face. I stepped fully into the room, Alejandra hesitating before moving inside.

"There once was a man who returned from the grasp of fate." She said, still with that same sad smile. "Follow his path."

Mesprit's voice echoed through my head. " _Time is short, and almost up. Hurry."_

My mom laughed, a sound I had only dreamt of hearing just hours ago. "It's been years since I've heard your voice, Mesprit. I'm glad you're keeping him safe. Now you," She turned to Alejandra. "I see the way you're looking at my son. Take care of him for me."

I glanced over at Alejandra, confused. She didn't meet my gaze, instead looking at my mom. "I promise." She said.

I felt the tugging once more, but this time I held on with all I had. "I swear I'll make it back to you!" I almost shouted the words.

"I know you will." With those words, I gave in, closing my eyes as my soul hurtled back to my body.

"Wait, when would my mom have seen you, and how did she know that wasn't really my body?" I asked, even before I opened my eyes.

"There once was a man who returned from the grasp of fate. Your grandfather once walked the path you now tread. I failed to make the connection before, your mother has grown so much in forty years." Mesprit said, more upbeat than before. "And that means there's a chance."

"Really?" I asked, hoping beyond hope. My mom's dad had died when I was young, I only had very vague memories of him. Mom had said he wandered the world, this must have been what she meant.

Mesprit smiled. "Your grandfather returned to a semi-human form after a year in a pokemon's body. His sheer determination moved Arceus itself, and it performed a deed it could only do once in a millennia. It manipulated his mind to allow his return."

I looked down at the ground. "If it can only be done once in a thousand years, how does that help me."

"Arceus's gift may have been passed down. I can map your mind if you'll let me, to make sure." Mesprit said.

The presence touched my mind again. Once more, I let it in. It flooded over my brain, the waves of psychic power echoing through my skull, receding slowly. "It is there. Seek two of the other ancients, convince them of your worthiness. Then you will find Arceus."

"Thank you." Was all I could manage. It seemed so inadequate; what could equate to the hope Mesprit had given me?

Mesprit twisted in midair, turning towards Alejandra. "I do not believe that destiny plays a role in how the world works, child, nothing is 'meant to be'. Some things, however, are a certainty. Give it time."

"I will." She said, closing her eyes for a second.

"You two should rest." Mesprit said, bowing its head slightly. "You can do so here, under my protection, if you wish. I have some matters to attend to now, if you would excuse me." Mesprit disappeared, a shimmering light lingering for a moment in the spot it had been.

* * *

Mesprit flew up into the sky, alerting the Mew to its presence with that action. "They rest under my protection now." Mesprit said, voice calm, eyes burning with anger. "I have shielded them from you, until my power should fade and my body return to dust.

"Why don't I help you along with that?" Mew snarled, unleashing a psychic blast.

Mesprit took the blast casually, not even flinching. "You forget what I am." Mesprit said, floating in place. "And you forget how weak you can be. I am fueled by emotion. I just helped a boy you are tormenting talk to his mother whom he wants only to return to. With him is a girl who fell deeply in love, and shared in his pain for his sake. You cannot touch me now." Mesprit's attack sent Mew tumbling, falling thirty feet before it could right itself.

Mew glanced around, then back to Mesprit. "This isn't over, lake spirit!" It said, vanishing in a flash of pink.

"So stereotypical. I hope you never come back." Mesprit said, turning away from the light.

* * *

"Tobias," Alejandra said. Mesprit had been gone for a few minutes already, which we had spent in silence. "Do you want me to come with you on your journey or quest or whatever you want to call it?"

I blinked. I had honestly not even considered going without her. "Of course I do."

"Good, because I decided that I'm going regardless." She said.

"So why even ask?"

She grinned at me. "Because you're gonna have to get used to me doing what I want."

"I don't get the point of this."

"Oh, you'll realize." She said, grin broadening to a full smile. "And I'll be ready once you do."

I closed my eyes, thinking about what she said. It must be related to Mesprit's comment to her about destiny and giving something time, I decided, but what was it that I needed to realize? I shook the thought from my head. I needed sleep, we had a long journey ahead of us if I was to return to being human. Everything else was secondary to that.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello again everyone! I hope you're having a good week. Not much going on on my end so just enjoy the chapter.**

 **Rocker on:** That is correct. I set precedent for this in my first story on this sight, A Tale of Two Eevees, if I remember correctly. It's been a while though. We'll see about when they get back, I've been considering both yes and no. This story takes place in the universe of the games with some alterations. I'm not going to debate religion. We've both stated our beliefs, let's leave it at that. I really didn't like that song, the way it talks about women just isn't ok with me. People are complex, men are no exception. It's supposed to be obvious to everyone but Tobias what she meant.

 **Shieldliger001:** I'm glad I got the moment right. At that moment Mesprit was supercharged be emotions, and Mew was caught off guard by it. As for Joshua, you'll see.

 **On with the story!**

I woke up to Alejandra poking me. "Ugh, stop that." I said, blinking in the sunlight.

"Sorry, just figured you't want to get going as soon as possible." She said with a giggle.

"You don't sound very sorry." I grumbled, pushing myself up off the ground. "Do you have any idea where we're going to find other legendaries? Where's Mesprit?"

Alejandra thought for a moment. "I haven't seen Mesprit since last night. As for finding legendaries, we should go see my dad. You see, he trades safe passage through our territory for information. He always said that information is the most valuable good to ever exist."

"Sounds like a plan." I said.

We set off, heading back the way we came. The sun was still climbing higher through the sky, the light shining through the leaves warming my back as we walked.

"I just realized that I haven't seen you eat anything." Alejandra said through a mouthful of berries. She had grabbed several off a bush in passing, barely even pausing as she collected them in her mouth.

I glanced over at her. Purple juice was running down her muzzle. "I'm part plant, I can photosynthesize. I guess I still need nutrients, but I can get by mostly without eating as long as it's sunny."

"What's photosynthesizing?" She asked. I should have realized she wouldn't know.

"It's how plants get energy. They take in water and a gas called carbon dioxide, and use energy from the sun to convert them into something they can use for energy." I said.

Alejandra nodded. "My dad tried to teach me everything he could, but he never finished school, and he was a pokemon for years before I was born."

"I don't think I had that much more time in school than he did, but it's far more recent for me.I try and teach you stuff, if you want."

"I'd love that." She said. "By the way, how old are you?"

I thought for a second. "If I missed a month, I must have missed my birthday then. I'm eighteen now."

"I'm the same age as you, then." There was an air of relief in her voice, but I didn't get why. "I inherited a human lifespan from my father, it seems. He says that once-humans are likely imperfect transformations, which is why that happened. It's been hard, though, having my friends all grow up almost twice as fast as me."

I thought for a moment about what to say, settling on "I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize, I came to terms with it a while ago. So eighteen is the age of adulthood, right?" She said, flashing me a smile.

I nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Oh, it's nothing." She said, looking away from me almost too quickly. She'd been acting rather strange for the past day or so, I realized suddenly. It must be one of those things I didn't get yet.

The rest of the day went by without event, the sun rising and falling as time marched ever onward. I spent the time trying in vain to discern what it was that Alejandra said I don't understand. I found it unendingly frustrating, for me to be so unable to find an answer.

We stopped for the night in a small clearing, the stars bright overhead. I glanced over at Alejandra, already asleep. For an instant I saw her as she had been when our minds were projected far away, red-gold hair and sharp features, before the image faded. I found myself distinctly aware of my heartbeat, faster than normal. This was weird, I thought. What had gotten into me?

* * *

The once-human looked up at Mew, eyes full of fear and wonder and rage. "You are weak." Mew said, malice concealed by kindness. "You need to be stronger to prove yourself. Let me help you."

Joshua stared at Mew, and at the shard of glowing red rock suspended in the air next to it. "What do you want in return? No one gives without really wanting to take." He asked.

Mew smiled, letting it's hatred shine through the guise. "I want to see Tobias wiped off the face of the earth."

Joshua nodded, slowly. "I accept your offer." He said, baring his teeth. The stone floated towards him, closer and closer. He gazed at the night sky as as the light began to envelop him. "I'll find him. And when I do, it'll be for the last time."

* * *

I awoke on my own for once, the sky stained red through the leaves. The sun wasn't fully risen. Alejandra, on the other hand, was. "How do you manage to get up so early?" I asked, stretching my back as I stood up.

"I'm just a naturally energetic person." She said, walking over to me. "Let's get going, if we hurry we can reach my dad by the evening." She began to jog, heading off into the trees.

I sighed before following, rushing to catch up and not lose sight of her. We walked in silence for a long time, although I frequently caught her glancing back at me. Each time she realized I noticed she would look away quickly, but invariably looked back in a few minutes.

"Alright, what's the matter." I asked, at length. "You've been acting strange for the past say or so."

She stopped and turned towards me, her gaze to the ground. "I can't tell you until you figure it out, as much as I want to." She said.

"Well can you give me a hint or something?"

She laughed at that. "I've given you plenty, it's up to you to take one at this point. Let's keep moving, it's not too much further now." I found myself once again obsessing over her words as we walked. It felt like I was somehow tantalizingly close to figuring it out, but there was still something missing, something important.

By the time we reached the wooden walls the sun was most of the way through it's descent, the sky burning with it's light. Ramiro stood just beyond the gate, watching us approach. "Alejandra! Tobias! What brings you back here so soon?" He called out.

"It's good to see you to papà." She said. "We met Mesprit at the cave."

"So Pietro was right, then." Ramiro said, a sad smile creeping across his face.

"It can't turn Tobias back though." She said. "It told us that we need to find two other legendaries, and then we could get Arceus to help."

"This won't be easy." Ramiro said after a few seconds. "I'll consult the maps I have, figure out likely locations. Will you two be staying the night?"

I glanced over at Alejandra, who nodded. "Why not." I said.

Ramiro smilled. "Good. Tobias, I want to talk with you for a bit, could you come with me?"

"Sure" I said, then turned to Alejandra. "See you in a bit." She inclined her head, and I followed Ramiro out into the woods.

"The moon is full tonight." He said.

"Yeah. I assume that's not what you wanted to talk about, though."

He kept his eyes ahead, not looking back at me as we walked. "That's correct. I wanted to talk about my daughter."

I stayed silent.

"How do you feel about her?" He asked

"I-" I started, pausing. The memory of last night, of the feeling I had when I thought I saw her human projection, came into my mind. "I don't know."

Ramiro looked at me for the first time since we had left. "I believe you." He said after a few seconds. "Regardless of what you decide, you have my blessing either way."

We had arrived at the riverbank, the waters roaring, the waters reflecting the sunset. "She really likes me, doesn't she?" I asked. The realization had come slowly, but it explained so much. It seemed so simple in retrospect; she had fallen in love with me and that was why she had been acting off. Strange, how thinking about my own feelings enabled me to understand hers.

"Yes, she does." Ramiro said with a sigh. "I'm just worried that she'll be heartbroken if you are able to become human and she can't, which seems to be a likely outcome."

"So what a do I do? If I tell her this she'll feel hurt, for sure. If I don't there's a chance it'll end well but if not she'll hurt so much more. And to top it off I'm still not sure how I feel." I said, taking a step towards the river, looking up at the sky.

"There is no right answer when it comes to love. You just have to hope for the best." Ramiro said.

"I still don't-." I began, turning towards him, slipping on a smooth rock, and falling into the river. I fought against the current, biting down on a low hanging vine.

Ramiro sprung to action immediately, pulling the vine inland, and me along with it. "Can't have you dieing, Alejandra would be inconsolable!" He said, chuckling at his own joke as I pulled myself

"I'm glad you care so much." I said with palpable sarcasm, causing Ramiro to redouble his laughter.

"Let's go back now." Ramiro said. "It's getting dark."

We headed back into the forest, the moon rising overhead. "When you talk with Alejandra, just try and have her best interests at heart." He said.

"I will." I said, my gaze downcast. I wasn't sure how I could figure out what's best for her when I couldn't even tell what was best for me.


	14. Chapter 14

****Re-uploaded with edits for grammar and deleted words****

 **Hello again everyone! I've got an almost double length chapter for you today, and I'm pleased to announce that I am once again collaborating with What Lies Beyond. If you haven't, please check out her work, it's the best I've seen on this site.**

 **She provided the characters of Caleb, Frost, and one other who is not named in this story.**

 **Rocker on** : Joshua can't go back. Tobias can because of his grandfather. Alejandra can because her mind never had to adapt to a change before. The Alakazam might show up, but the story is moving away from the forest rapidly. As for Joshua, you'll have to wait and see. On the topic of girls I don't agree with you but let's not pursue this further for the same reasons as the religion argument. I do kinda have a catchphrase. "Hello again everyone" is how I start all my author's notes. In person I love to argue, but online there's no winning because it easily devolves into Ad Hominem attacks.

 **Overrated Fiction** : Dealt with in PM. In short Joshua is the way he is to be a foil to Tobias.

 **On with the story!**

By the time we reached the wooden walls I was freezing. The night air chilled me to the bone, helped along by the water still dripping from me. Alejandra got up as she saw us approach. "Tobias, are you ok? You're shivering quite a bit." She called out.

"He fell in the river." Ramiro said.

"I'm fine, just a bit cold." I said, cutting off Alejandra's response.

She sighed, seemingly exasperated. "Come over here and let me help you."

I complied, walking up to her as she watched me. I had a feeling that she had an ulterior motive for this. Ramiro had headed off somewhere unseen. "So, now what?" I asked.

"Oh, sorry." She said, as if snapping out of a trance. She closed her eyes for a moment, exhaling, and heat began to radiate out of her. "Come on, get in closer." She said.

I moved towards her, stopping a foot or so away. We both sat down, the warmth she provided warding off the cold. "You and my dad were talking about me, weren't you?" She asked.

"What? No." I said, too quickly.

"Liar. What was it?"

I sighed. Hope for the best, Ramiro had said. It seemed there was nothing else to do but take the risk. "I hope what we talked about never matters." I said. "Because I've figured it out."

Our eyes met, and remained. Her eyes were this dark blue, almost black, a glimmer of light like fire hidden deep inside. "What is it then?" She said, softly.

In that moment, all doubts vanished from my mind. "You love me. And I love you." I said.

She smiled, still staring into my eyes. "I was wondering how long it would take. I'm glad you realized it quickly."

"I'm just confused how you knew my feelings before I did." I said.

Her smile broadened, my pulse quickening. "Call it intuition. Just know that I'll always be there for you." I felt a pang in my heart, but I ignored it. I had to have hope.

* * *

I awoke the next morning, a soothing warmth coursing through my body. I opened my eyes to see Alejandra's head resting on my chest. She must have ended up using me as a pillow. The sun was only just peeking over the horizon, brilliant hues painting the sky.

There was a sudden spike in heat as Alejandra awoke with a start. I winced slightly. Too much heat wouldn't do me much good, being part plant.

"Good morning." I said, as she rolled off of me and onto the ground.

"Damn, you woke up before me." She said. "Was looking forward to poking you."

"Could you not?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Of course I could, but I won't." She said.

"Good morning, you two." Ramiro said, stepping into the enclosed area from outside the wall. "I called in some favors, and I have potential locations for four different legendary pokemon."

"Kalos is a large region, you should be able to find your help without needing to leave." So we were on Kalos. I had only a rough idea as to the geography of the region, I had never paid enough attention in class. "Safest bet is Zygarde. It's been confirmed to be in a cave system to the north east. It never seems to move from one spot. Latias and Latios were seen with a trainer visiting the region. They won't be hard to find but will be near impossible to approach. Lastly, there was an unconfirmed Ho-oh sighting in the north. I wouldn't put much stock in that though."

"Thank you so much." I said. "For everything."

Ramiro shook his head. "No need to thank me, I just want to see you, both of you, find happiness."

"Papà, I- I'll miss you." Alejandra said.

"I'll miss you too. Just promise me you'll come back to visit once it's over."

"I will. I love you, papà."

Ramiro closed his eyes, a tear running down his cheeks. "I love you more than anything. Goodbye, mi hija."

We left then, Ramiro watching us go. Alejandra spent more time looking backwards than forwards until he was out of sight. "So which do we try and convince?" She asked, at length.

"I think we go for the trainer, if we can get two we at once then I'll be able to go back sooner." I said.

Alejandra nodded. "Sounds like a plan. The first step should be to get out of the forest, find a town. We need to figure out where the trainer is." We walked on for nearly an hour before it happened.

Alejandra stopped abruptly, standing perfectly still. "Shh." She whispered, causing me to stop as well, and listen.

"We must be careful, Cal'le-Sa, if she is there then we might cause a time paradox, you know you she can't see you for at least twenty three years." A female voice said.

"Do you need to keep reminding me? I know already." A man responded.

I looked over at Alejandra. "They're headed our way." I whispered. "What should we do?"

She began to respond, too late. Two figures emerged from behind a bush, stopping as they moved towards us.

The first, an Absol with strikingly blue fur, the color of a glacier, stopped short when it saw us. Tufts of fur reminiscent of mega-evolution stuck out of it's back. The other, a man in a long hooded coat, also stopped. His face was obscured by shadows from both the hood and the exceptionally thick piece of canopy above us.

A thought struck me. "You two were talking." I said. "That's not normal."

The man glared at me. "That's none of your business."

The Absol was giving me a strange look. "Something is off about this one."

The man's gaze changed, from anger to concentration. "You're right. You weren't always like this, were you?" He asked.

"How'd you know?" I asked, choosing my words carefully. I had no clue how people would react to what had happen to me.

"I've met another pokemon who used to be human. He had this sense of desperation I also see in your eyes. I helped him, maybe I can help you?" He said, taking a knee, and looking me in the eye. I heard Alejandra breath in sharply.

He was obviously not human, at least not completely. Yellowish fur covered his face, contrasting with hazel-brown eyes. "You're a hybrid." I said, stating the obvious. I had only ever seen one before, a vagrant I had spied walking past our house one time.

He inclined his head. "That I am. It's why I can talk to you. I wasn't always like this, I know what it's like to be trapped in a body that isn't really yours. So please, let me help you." He had an intensity in his voice that hadn't been there before, his eyes hard.

I glanced over at Alejandra. "You're in this with me, what do you think?" I asked her.

"He seems genuine." She said. "But it's up to you in the end. Whatever you choose, I'll follow your lead."

I looked back at the man. "We'll need all the help we can get, I think."

He seemed to relax, exhaling slightly. "Now, why don't you tell me your story then."

"My name is Tobias." I said. "I woke up as an eevee about a week and a half ago. Someone else was changed as well, a guy who bullied me quite a lot actually. I tried to help him but he became bitter and attacked me. I defeated him, not realizing how close I was to a moss stone, and evolved. I wandered for a bit before I met Alejandra, who was able to lead me to Mesprit. Mesprit told me that I would be able to go back if I found two other legendaries to get the attention of Arceus, but only because of something my Grandfather did who knows how many years ago. We were going to find a trainer in the region who has both Latios and Latias with him." I skipped a lot, but some of what I said I hadn't even told Alejandra yet.

The man listened intently the whole time. "I guess I should introduce myself then. My name is Caleb. I'm a hybrid between a human and growlithe, although I was born as a normal human. My story is too long to be told right now, but suffice to say I've been traveling for a long time now. My friend here is Fer'ost, or Frost. She doesn't like to use human names, so bear with her. She calls me Cah'le-Sa"

Alejandra spoke next. "I guess it's my turn. I am Alejandra. I was born and raised in these woods. My dad is a once-human, like Tobias. He tried to raise me as human as he could. I met Tobias five days ago now, and, well…" She visibly blushed.

Frost looked us over. "My story is much the same as Ca'le-Sa. I wandered for many years by his side." She said, looking over at me. "I will call you To'vai'rhan-tal."

Caleb stood up, towering over us. "Let's get a move on, there's a place I want to stop along the way." He said.

The four of us set out, Caleb taking the lead. I walked side by side with Alejandra, Frost slightly ahead of us.

"So Frost, how long have you known Caleb for?" Alejandra asked.

"About forty years now." Frosty said. "He's not matured at all since we first met."

"What? You're the one who never acts their age." Caleb said.

"Nyeh!" Frost retorted, sticking out her tongue then giggling audibly as if to prove his point .

"Forty years?" Alejandra asked. "How is that possible, neither of you look that old."

"Time travel and a bit of help from legendaries go a long way." Caleb said.

Time travel? Now this was getting interesting. "You two certainly seem to have quite the story to tell. I'd love to hear it eventually." I said.

Caleb was silent for a minute. "To be honest I don't know where I would begin, there's so much to say."

We had reached a point where the ground began to slope upward rather rapidly. A look to the right showed the cliffs towering above. This must be a way up, I realized, resolving to never speak of my gravity-aided descent.

Time wore on, and the ground evened out once we reached the summit, the sun directly above us. We had fallen into an awkward silence, just walking, the crunch of twigs beneath Caleb's boots drowning out the sounds of the forest.

Caleb stopped, suddenly. "I'd forgotten this would be here. Tobias, you might want to see this."

I walked up next to him, seeing before me the unnaturally still pool I had seen soon after my arrival. "I've been here before." I said. "The pool showed me my human form."

"That's not exactly what it does, the pool shows you your soul's reflection as opposed to your body." Frost said from behind me. "Ale'jan'hai-tal. It took me some time to figure out you enough to give a name, but I've got it now. Ale'jan'hai-tal and To'vai'rhan-tal."

"The same suffix?" Caleb asked. "Doesn't that normally imply bloodline?"

Frost shook her head. "Not when a name is given to a human, but it is preferable to avoid. I tried to work around it, but I always came back to the same place."

I walked up to the mirroring waters, stomaching a yelp. There, in the waters, was me, both of me. My human body as well as this one, occupying the same space.

Alejandra joined my by the water's edge. Her reflection also had both forms. She looked at my reflection, eyes lingering. "Was it always like that?" She asked, voice soft.

"No." I said, my mouth dry all of a sudden.

"Remember," She said. "No matter what happens, I'll be there to share your fate."

Ramiro's words came to me once again. I hoped I would never have to leave her.

"I know." I said.

Caleb and Frost joined us by the water. Both of them reflected their bodies as they were. "If you had looked in before you got revenge, what do you think you would have seen?" Frost asked Caleb.

"I don't know." He said with a sigh. "And I think that helping Jacob was the turning point, not my revenge. Let's get a move on, this isn't what we're here for, and it's not far now."

Once again we set out, the sun now halfway down the sky. "So Jacob was the other person like me that you helped?" I asked.

"Is, was, will be." Caleb said. "He won't be born for another 5 or 6 years by my count, but it's still in my past. He was in a lot of trouble, the same person who did this to me turned him into an eevee. His mind would have broken if he hadn't gotten help."

"Was he able to become human again?" Alejandra asked.

Frost shook her head. "No. He was able to come to terms with it though, after he fell in love with another like him."

My heart was heavy in my chest. I didn't want to let my feelings for Alejandra stop me from seeing my mom again. Family was more important. Humanity was more important. The image of my twin reflections came to me, but I forced it away. No, that wasn't who I was. Even still, I couldn't fully ignore what I had seen.

"Caleb, I don't think it's here. We would have passed it already." Frost said, glancing around the woods.

He looked up at the forest canopy above us, putting his hands on the back of his head. "I guess I was being too optimistic. There's still twenty three years until I can see her safely again, anyways. I'm not sure what I wanted." He turned to Alejandra and me. "We'll camp here for the night, and head off early in the morning. If we're quick we can reach a town in two or three days, and figure out where that trainer is."

"Thank you for agreeing to help us." Alejandra said.

"Don't mention it." Caleb replied, sitting down, his back to a tree.

Alejandra and I laid down next to each other. "Are you still thinking about your reflection?" She asked, quietly.

"Yeah." I admitted, closing my eyes. "I'm worried that when I'm back things won't be the same."

"That's a good way to think about it, when, not if. Look, don't worry about what might go wrong. You're going to see your mother again. I know it." She said, placing her paw on mine.

I sighed. "Thank you for that. I think that's just what I needed to hear."

"All I want is for you to be happy." She said. "I love you, you know that?"

"I love you too." I said, eyes still closed.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello again everyone! I hope you're having a good week. I'm heading home from college tomorrow to spend Thanksgiving with my family, so I should have time to get another chapter done during the trip.**

 **Shieldliger001:** No worries about missing a review. I went back and fixed some grammar in the last chapter as it was bugging me. If you don't like hybrids you might not enjoy the direction this story takes, but I hope you will keep reading regardless. Caleb is from the author What Lies Beyond, as I said. He also shows up in another of my stories. Mew is most certainly evil, this plays out more in my other stories which are chronologically after this. Mew isn't corrupted, just sadistic and bored, and was never good good to begin with.

 **Rocker on:** They are characters that were originally made by the author What Lies Beyond, and they showed up in A Tale of the Twilight. I might check it out, but I don't like reading unfinished stories. They tend to eat away at me because I want more. I went back and edited out all the grammar and logic errors I could find, so it should be better if you go back and re-read it. We'll see as for Latias and Latios, you never know how they will act. The 'gift' was always a genetic thing. The way it works is that his mind is more malleable so it can adapt to the changes far easier than a normal person.

 **On with the story!**

I awoke to Alejandra nudging me. "Hey." She whispered in my ear. "I want to talk while they're still asleep.

I pushed myself up off the ground, blinking in the sunlight. "What is it?" I said, matching her volume.

She glanced at the sleeping forms of Caleb and Frost. "What do you think of them?" She asked.

I looked over as well. They were both fast asleep, as far as I could tell. "They seem like good people. Caleb does seem like he wants to help us."

"Yeah, it's just… yesterday Frost said something about revenge. I feel like we don't know these people and we're putting our trust in them."

"We've only known eachother for less than a week." I pointed out.

"Yeah, but that's different!" She said, voice still quiet. "Well, I guess it isn't really, but it feels different."

I sighed. "So what do you think we should do? I want you to be comfortable with what we're doing, so what would you like to do?"

She closed her eyes for a second. "For now, nothing. But please just be careful, I don't know what I would do if you got hurt."

It seemed that I had reached the same junction once again, the choice that had no right answer. Pain now, or the chance of so much more pain later. As it had been, so it was now. All I could do was hope, and trust in the goodness of Arceus.

"I would be lost without you, as well." I said. The image of my reflection once again surfaced, and once again I repressed it. This couldn't go on forever, I knew. It felt fruitless, like a kid trying to push a floating ball underwater, only for it to roll out from under them and surface once more. Eventually something would have to give, and I worried that it would be me.

I was pulled from my thoughts by a yawn from behind us. Caleb had woken up. "Good morning!" Alejandra said, cheerily, no hint of our previous conversation in her voice.

"We should get moving as soon as possible." He said, rubbed his eyes with one hand as he stood up. "Frost, get up, we're leaving!" He raised his voice, the sound causing Frost to jump to alert.

"Did you have to yell?" She asked, shaking her head.

"Yes. Now let's get going."

We set out, Caleb once again in the lead. He pulled a granola bar out of his coat, eating as he walked. "So how did you two meet?" Alejandra asked, after a few minutes.

"He came to my home when I was young. The specifics escape me, I must have been around two when we first met." Frost said.

"You startled me and I fell off of a rather large rock." Caleb said. "And your mom almost attacked me before I explained that you snuck up on me. After that I told you the story of Ho-oh and made you that promise."

Frost laughed. "Oh, I remember that now! I'm not sorry for surprising you."

"I already knew that." Caleb said with a sigh, then stopped suddenly, looking around.

"What's wrong?" I asked, looking up at him.

"I'm not sure, but do you hear anything?" he said. I listened carefully, and heard nothing. Too much nothing. Where were the sounds of life I had grown accustomed to hearing over the past two weeks?

"What do we do?" Alejandra asked.

Caleb glanced over at Frost. "I say keep moving, but be careful. There might be something nearby that we don't want to run into." Frost said, looking back and forth, examining the gaps between the trees.

We set out again, and it seemed like every sound was amplified with the loss of ambient noise. The crunch of twigs underfoot, the crackling of dead leaves like gunshots in this oppressive silence.

We walked like this for almost an hour before we reached a clearing, almost perfectly circular, a monolithic rock in the center. "Since it hasn't stopped do you think we're being followed?" I asked.

"Good call." Caleb said. "We should-"

The blast of fire rushed towards me, the trees on either side of its origin bursting into flame at the sheer heat. My half a second's shock was enough, I wasn't going to be able to dodge this. Alejandra moved, faster than I had known she could. In an instant she stood between me and the blast. The wave of fire collapsed on top of her, folding into her and disappearing, stopped in it's tracks. The fire subsided, leaving Alejandra glowing like a torch.

"Tobias!" An all too familiar voice roared. "Stop hiding behind them and fight me! A weakling like you doesn't deserve to live!"

"Why are you doing this, Joshua!" I yelled. "I don't want to fight you!"

"Well I do!" He yelled back, stepping into the clearing. He had evolved, it seemed, and as an arcanine he now towered over me. "You're relying on others to fight for you! You're weak! You don't deserve to enjoy this world while I suffer!"

"Having help doesn't make him weak. It makes him a stronger person than you could ever be." Alejandra said, still glowing with internal fire.

"Now!" Caleb yelled, charging at Joshua. Frost attacked from the side, where she had crept unnoticed until now. She had mega-evolved at some point, angelic wings protruding from her back.

Joshua ignored them, running past their attacks and charging me. I didn't hesitate this time, dashing to the side to avoid his attack. Alejandra, however, was a fraction of a second too slow. His leg slammed into her as he ran, sending her through the air and into the trunk of a tree.

"No!" I yelled, rushing to her side, panicking. She was out cold, but still breathing.

"Did I hurt your girlfriend?" Joshua snarled, slowly advancing towards us. "Good! The weak don't deserve happiness."

"I'll catch up to you, run!" Frost shouted, placing herself between us and him. Caleb ran over to us, gently scooping up Alejandra from the ground.

"You aren't getting away!" Joshua shouted, beginning a charge only for Frost to trip him, sending him to the ground.

"Follow me!" Caleb said. "We need to get her to a pokemon center as soon as we can." We began to run, now on a path I recognized. We were nearing the edge of the forest.

"Will Frost be ok?" I asked, once I had calmed down some.

"She can handle herself, and she's fast enough to catch up to us, we've just gotta keep going." Caleb said. "That was the other one who was changed, wasn't it?"

"Yeah." I said. "I don't know what his problem is, I kept trying to help him but he just wouldn't accept it."

"That's an understatement if I've ever heard one. He wants you dead." Caleb said.

I didn't respond. It struck me then, that this was my fault. I had been kind to Joshua, and Alejandra got hurt because I game him chances to change himself. If I had just left him on the cliff this never would have happened, but I wasn't sure I would have been able to live with myself if I made that decision.

We reached the edge of the forest, looking out over the rolling hills. Caleb stopped, turning around. I followed his lead, seeing Frost walking towards us. She was breathing heavily, slightly favoring her front left leg. "I lead him off track a bit, then turned around." She said, once she had caught her breath. "I don't think I was able to get him off our trail though, we need to keep moving."

"Are you hurt at all?" Caleb asked.

She shook her head. "Don't worry about me, how's Alejandra holding up?"

Caleb looked down at her still form, cradled in his arms. "Still unconscious. No way to tell how hurt she is though."

"How far are we from a pokemon center?" I asked.

"It's probably five hours from here." Caleb said, pulling out a pokedex. "Yeah, says seven hour walk, we can make five or lower if we run."

"What are we waiting for then, we need to go, now!" I said, panic setting once more. I couldn't stand to see Alejandra like this, both out of guilt and out of a selfish need I felt for her. Caleb gave me this sad look, before closing his eyes and turning away. We ran in silence, and I felt tears running down my face.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello again everyone and a happy Thanksgiving to all of you! If you aren't American happy thursday I guess. The night I am posting this is exactly two months after the story was first posted, I'm proud of how far I've gotten in such a short time.**

 **Shieldliger001:** I'm glad that my story stands out. I think that having characters born as hybrids can make it harder for people to associate with them, as they're born overtly special. Laboratories are a trope that I'll admit I indulge in somewhat, they provide a setting that the reader can easily infer and invision.

 **Rocker on:** It's less co-writing and more collaboration. We each write our own stuff but cooperate on a timeline and share characters. It's more to do with his psyche than his brain structure, and only Arceus can safely change it. I hope you enjoy Thanksgiving as well. The other legendaries don't like to be around Mew and for good reason. A lot of them don't really care what Mew does as long as it doesn't bother them.

 **On with the story!**

The inside of the pokemon center was a clean, clinical environment. It was strange, after living in the woods for two weeks, to be in a safe and more importantly air conditioned building. The nurse had taken Alejandra and Frost into the back of the center for care, the normal machines they used relied on pokeballs to heal instantly.

The nurse had been wary of Caleb from we had arrived, likely because he was a hybrid. People tend to fear what they don't understand, and hybrids seemed like this alien thing to a lot of people, me included.

The nurse returned from the back, Frost following behind. "The flareon's doing fine, she'll need to rest though." She said. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. She was going to be fine.

"Can we go see her?" Caleb asked, glancing down at me.

The nurse looked down at Frost. "I think that that might not be conductive for her healing process."

Caleb sighed, glaring at Frost. "I'm sorry about her." He said. Frost gave her best look of innocence, which anything with a brain would have seen through immediately.

"Sir," The nurse said. "May I ask who owns these pokemon? It won't affect their treatment at all, I just need to record their owner and I get the feeling that you aren't theirs."

Caleb smiled. "No one owns them. Frost is my traveling companion. Tobias and Alejandra, the leafeon and flareon respectively, I only met yesterday."

"Did you name them?" She asked.

Caleb shook his head. "No."

She narrowed her eyes. "Then how do you know their names?"

"They told me." He said, simply.

"So you can talk to pokemon." She said, more a statement than a question.

"Yeah." Caleb said, not meeting her eyes.

The nurse seemed to be studying Caleb. "I've always wondered what pokemon talk about, the stories they could tell."

Caleb sighed. "Most of them don't have much to say. The ones with the most interesting stories either won't talk, or weren't always pokemon."

I had only been half listening, but at those words I snapped my head up, looking at Caleb. The nurse seemed to notice, glancing down at me.

"What do you mean?" She asked. "Weren't always pokemon. I mean, I've heard stories but I never put stock in them."

"There are strange forces in this world. I've met pokemon who used to be human, changed against their will. I've taken it upon myself to help people like that." Caleb seemed to choose his words carefully.

"It sounds awful to be stuck in a body that isn't your own." She said.

"I'm sure it is." Caleb said. The nurse didn't pursue the topic further, heading away into the back of the center.

Caleb stood up. "Frost, let's go see of we can find anything about that trainer. You can stay here if you want, Tobias."

I just nodded, not saying a word. They left me with my thoughts, alone in the room. The nurse came back after a few minutes, spotting me sitting alone.

"You used to be human, didn't you? I saw how you reacted when he mentioned that." She said, leaning in the counter and resting her head in her hands.

I nodded. She was certainly quick on the uptake.

"You seem to really care for that flareon, was she a human as well?"

I shook my head. She raised her eyebrows. "Do you have a way to go back to being human?" She asked.

I nodded once more.

"But when you do she'll still be a pokemon." She said. I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." She said upon noticing my reaction. "If she wasn't sleeping I'd let you go see her now. Hey, once you're human again, could you come visit some time? I'd love to hear your story."

I nodded. I wished I was able to talk with her now, it was frustrating to be unable to. The nurse once again retreated into the back. I was exhausted from the days running, so I decided some sleep would do me good. It took some time, but sleep came to me, curled up there on a chair in the pokemon center.

* * *

I awoke to the now familiar feeling of being poked. I jumped up, looking at her, standing below me. I hadn't realized how much I missed her smile.

"I'm so glad you're alright." I said.

"I'd rather go through that again than have it happen to you." Alejandra said. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. I just feel like it's my fault that you got hurt, I gave him a chance when I shouldn't have and you're the one who paid for it." I said, looking at the ground.

Alejandra sighed, touching her paw to mine. I looked back up at her, staring into her eyes. "Don't blame yourself for doing the right thing." She said. "Blame him for not taking the chance you gave him. Also, the next time we see him I'm gonna beat the shit out of him.

"Sounds like a plan. Where are Caleb and Frost?" I asked.

"They're out getting breakfast, should be back in a few minutes." She said. "Oh, and that reminds me, they think they know where we can find the trainer we're looking for. He was last seen heading to a place called Geosenge Town, we should be able to make it there in a few days travel."

"So long as both Latios and Latias will help us, I'll be able to go back to being human once we find him." I said, more to myself than anything. Alejandra gave me a pensive look, but said nothing else. We sat in silence until Frost and Caleb returned.

"Good morning, Tobias." Frost said as she walked in.

"Good morning." I replied. "So are we ready to get going?"

"Well aren't you in a hurry? Yeah, we're ready. I assume Alejandra filled you in on the plan." Caleb said.

I nodded my affirmation. "Well, what are we waiting for?" Alejandra said, moving towards the door. We followed her out, the morning light warm on my back. We left the small town behind, sticking to the main road as we went. The road was relatively busy, Caleb attracting many odd looks and prolonged stares. Luckily no one stopped us to fight, maybe out of fear. Caleb was an intimidating presence, and with three pokemon visible who would want to fight anyways?

"Do you think he's still following us?" Alejandra asked, maybe an hour into our travel. She didn't say who she was referring to, her tone implied it all.

"Most definitely." Frost said. "He's an arcanine, he'll be able to follow our scent. I doubt he'll try and attack us on a main road like this though, too many people here to help us. Most of them would probably love to catch an arcanine as well." It was some comfort at least.

The rest of the day was remarkably uneventful. We passed through several towns, never stopping for long, until the sun colored the sky with orange hues and we reached a rather popular campground. We took a spot just far enough away from other campers that we could talk privately but not so far as to be inaudible.

Caleb sat down, his back to a tree. I had no clue how he found that comfortable, but I didn't question it. Frost laid down a little ways away from him. Alejandra set down across from Caleb, and I placed myself next to her, moving in close until our sides touched.

Caleb glanced up at us. "I've been thinking of the best way to summarize my story, do you still care to hear it?" He asked.

"Of course." Alejandra said, and I nodded in agreement.

Caleb took a deep breath before he spoke. "The me you know came into being when I was turned into what I am now by a man known as Pluto. I was twelve at the time. I took the name Bane, as I couldn't see myself as the person I was before it happened to me. I spend the next four years on the run, barely getting by, but I started to help people. I met some lifelong friends, including Frost, around this time. When I was seventeen, almost eighteen, I was sent forward in time by Celebi. I didn't know what for until I met Jacob, the other was, or will be like you. I helped him, and he unintentionally helped me face my past, helped me become Caleb again. I went back to the proper time after that, and my wanderings since then brought me to where I am now."

"It's quite the life story." I said.

"Well, now you know me a bit better." Caleb said, yawning. "Just remember, one day your story might rival mine, it all depends on what you make of yourself."

I looked over at Alejandra. "All I know is that my story won't be of me alone."

"You best remember that." She said, shifting so that her head rested on my stomach. "Also remember that you make a great pillow." I sighed, half out annoyance and half out of content. Sleep found me much quicker than the previous night.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello again everyone! I hope you had a good thanksgiving, or a good thursday for the non-americans. It feels good to be home after three months at school, although I could do without my mom saying I need a haircut every fifteen minutes.**

 **Rocker on:** I would think he can't, but the final say goes to What Lies Beyond. I had a five hour car ride home, so I had time then to crank out the body of the chapter, then edit once I had time that night. I certainly am thankful for reviews in general, getting feedback is one of my favorite things about writing.

 **Shieldliger001:** I'm glad I did a good job with it. Cliches aren't necessarily a bad thing if you moderate them, but it's easy for a newer author to go overboard with them. Subverting a trope can be a good tool as well.

 **On with the story!**

I awoke peacefully for the first time in awhile, it seemed. Alejandra slept, her head still on my chest. Caleb was sitting up, obviously wide awake. "He's watching us, the arcanine is." He said. It was then I noticed the bags under his eyes, he hadn't slept.

Alejandra stirred, lifting her head. "He's waiting, just out of sight, for us to let our guard down." Caleb said.

"Then we never give him that opening." I replied.

"We can start taking shifts keeping watch at night." Frost suggested. "You don't have to do everything yourself, Ca'le-Sa."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Didn't want to wake everyone is all." Caleb said with a yawn.

"Should we get going?" Alejandra asked, standing up and stretching her back.

"I'd say so." Frost said. "No point in sitting here, waiting for him to attack us."

Caleb pushed himself off the ground, patting dirt off of his coat. "Agreed. We need to get to Geosenge town before the trainer leaves."

We left the campsite behind, once again traveling on the main road. There were about the same number of travelers as we had seen yesterday, but less of them seemed to be trainers. The sight of a young boy holding his mother's hand sent my mind off, thinking of my mom waiting for me to come home.

I dwelled on it for a minute, imagining how it would feel to walk through the door once again, the look of surprise and joy on my mom's face. The dream quickly faded and the reality of the road took hold once more.

Frost and Caleb were on edge, probably worrying about Joshua showing up. This meant that when a man in a dirty looking sweater stepped out from behind a tree Caleb nearly took his head off.

"Easy there," He said, holding up his hands. "I just wanted to talk. You're Bane, aren't you?"

Caleb's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that name?" He growled, shifting his feet into a fighting stance.

The man closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. "I'm not proud of what I've done. I hate myself for it, it haunts me to the point where some nights I can't sleep." He said, shifting his gaze to the ground. "Look, I used to work for Pluto, and I'm sorry. Ha! As if an an apology can make up for what we did to you. Still, I just had to say something."

Caleb stood stock still, staring at the man. "I've made peace with myself." He said. "Bane is gone, I go by Caleb once more. I can assure that Pluto's free days are numbered, his capture is already a certainty. I forgive you."

It was as if a burden of great weight was lifted from the man. He stood a bit straighter, his eyes wide. "That was more than I could ever ask for." The man said.

"You need to find your own peace, stop dwelling on the past." Caleb said.

The man nodded, turning back towards the woods. "I wish you safe travels, Ba- Caleb." He said. "Goodbye!" He walked off into the trees, quickly moving out of sight.

"Well that was something." Frost said, as we began to walk once more. I kept silent. Caleb had made peace with what happened to him, where as I was doing everything I could to not. Yet, if I hadn't been changed I wouldn't have met Alejandra… it was all so difficult to reconcile. The day wore on, the sun climbing higher and the traffic getting sparser.

I sensed that Caleb was on guard, as we slowly became the only people on the road. Alejandra was looking around every few seconds, waiting. Frost had taken up the rear position, watching behind us. The sun was directly overhead.

I could hear him now, in the absence of other passersby. The rustle of a bush being stepped on sent a chill down my spine. My mind raced, planning out useless strategies, but I pushed that away. I needed to focus on what was actually happening.

He strode out of the treeline, my pulse quickening. I glanced over at Alejandra, her hackles raised, softly growling at him. I had never seen her as animalistic as she was now. There was a blinding flash of light as Frost mega-evolved, wings unfurling.

"I still don't want to fight you." I called out.

"That's because you're weak and you know you won't win." He said, haughtily. "You only know how to run, and you're relying on others to protect you. Pathetic!"

"Relying on others doesn't make one weak." Frost said.

"And neither does running." Caleb said. "Tobias had the strength to give you more chances than you deserved, you don't understand that there is strength beyond the physical."

"Enough talk!" Joshua roared. "I'll kill you, Tobias!"

I pulled from the pool of energy within me, producing a ball of energy, holding it in place.

"That's it, fight me!" He said, beginning to charge at me. Everyone else scattered, but I stayed in place, waiting for my moment. At the last second I threw myself between his legs, letting him collide with the ball of energy.

He yelled out in pain, crashing to a halt, but getting right back up. He sent a blast of fire at me, but Alejandra stepped between us. Once again, the fire seemed to fold into her, and she glowed with power. She charged at him, fire gathering around in front of her as she ran, catching him in the side as he tried to dodge.

Frost took the opening, sending out blades of solid air that left slashes in Joshua's side. He roared in pain, struggling to find his footing. "Please, stop this!" I called out, taking a step towards him. "I don't want to hurt you!"

"I'll never stop. I won't stop until you're dead, and once you're dead I'll kill your little girlfriend as well. " He said, breathing heavily, eyes darting back and forth.

It felt like something in me snapped when he said that. "You will never hurt her again!" I yelled, rushing at him, gathering energy in my tail. I jumped over his retaliatory strike, my tail meeting his face, cutting through to hit bone. He howled in pain, collapsing to the ground.

I turned around, walking back in front of him, nearly gagging at the sight of what I had done. I had slashed all the way down from his forehead to his cheek on a diagonal line, passing through his eye.

"I don't understand." He choked out. "How you can be so damn good all the time. Even when you hurt me, it's to defend someone else. Help me understand!" He shouted the last words.

"Leave." I said, harshly. He gave me a sad look with his remaining eye, and began to limp away, blood leaking from his wounds. I watched until he had vanished from sight in the trees.

"I just wish there had been another way, why couldn't you have just left me alone." I murmured.

"Some people will only care for power." Frost said. "There's nothing we can do to save those people from themselves." I didn't respond.

"Come on, let's get going." Caleb said, after a few minutes. We set out again, Alejandra staying close to me.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

I shook my head. "He threatened to hurt you, so I attacked him. I'm just not sure if I did the right thing."

Alejandra laughed lightly. "I can't speak for what's right, but I would have done the same. When he said he was going to kill you I would have attacked him then, but you were in the way."

"Love is a powerful emotion." I said.

"There's none stronger." I replied.

We walked onward, even after the sun set. I saw light in the distance, and a sign we passed confirmed my guess. Welcome to Geosenge Town, it read.

* * *

Joshua moved through the trees, slowly making his way back to the forest where it all began. He entered a clearing, stopping as he saw the floating being before him. It was not the one who had offered him power, he realized instantly.

"Child, you have been harmed by the promise of power. It is time you found peace." Mesprit said, floating over to him.

Joshua closed his eyes, tears beginning to fall. He felt the presence push on his mind and didn't resist it's embrace. It was as if a veil, ripped by a blade of leaf, had been fully lifted from his eyes at last.

* * *

Mew felt the mental link to the once-human shatter, and raged internally. "If you keep transforming humans at a whim someone's going to figure it out eventually." Mewtwo was saying. "We're too evenly matched for me to force you to comply, but give me your word that you will stop."

Mew forced a look of concern. "Of course, you have my word." It said, it's thoughts already breaking the promise. It's playthings had been taken away, and it would need new ones soon.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello again everyone! I'm heading back to school tomorrow so I may just have a chapter finished during the car ride. Something funny that happened was my older sister's boyfriend brought Settlers of Catan for us to play and my sister wouldn't talk to me during dinner because of how many games I won.**

 **Rocker on:** Figure out who was behind all the transformations. I'm not really sowing seeds for a new story, this one is far from over. I'm just showing how unrepentant Mew is. You're right about Joshua, he's changed for the better now. I've read one sequel, not the newest one yet.

 **TooLazyToLogin:** That's not really the intention, it's just to show that Mew isn't going to stop with its antics any time soon.

Geosenge town was smaller than I had imagined. There were maybe five houses, a small inn, and a pokemon center. Three stone pillars rose from the center of the town, almost like a three fingered hand reaching out of the ground. Caleb led us to the inn, pushing open the door. It was empty inside, besides a bartender and a man in a leather jacket sitting at the bar. The inn itself was warm and had an air of comfort to it, rustic decorations and wooden furniture adding to a sense of antiquity.

The other man turned to look at us as we entered, and something on his coat caught the light. Badges, nearly forty of them pinned to his jacket sleeve. There could be no doubt that this was who we were looking for.

"Are you Malcolm Johnson?" Caleb asked.

"S' what if I am?" The man replied, his words slightly slurred. He took another swing of what could only be some kind of alcohol.

"We need to talk to Latios and Latias." Caleb replied, still standing just inside the doorway.

"A'ight then." He said, standing up. He didn't seem very steady on his feet. "They'll know if you're lyin' about anythin', and the likes of you couldn't stop them if they get mad." He moved for the door, stumbling slightly as he pushed past Caleb and exited the inn.

We followed him outside, the night air a shock after the warmth of the inn. He pulled two pokeballs out of his jacket, releasing the pokemon inside in a flash of light. The twin dragons were majestic in a way that Mesprit had not been, their floating forms streamlined, built for speed above all else.

" _Well, well, what do we have here."_ A decidedly male voice said in my head. I assumed this was Latios.

" _Oh, come on, we both know what's going on."_ A female one replied, likely Latias.

" _Can't you let me have my dramatic moment, sis?"_ Latios asked.

" _No. Young one, open your mind to us, let us see your story first hand."_ Latias said. " _The summoning of the council of legends is not an act to be taken lightly, so forgive our caution."_

Latios groaned. " _Now you're being dramatic. Do you have to steal my thunder all the time?"_ Two presences pushed on my mind. I let them in, surprised at how calm I was. If all went well, this journey might be over soon.

I saw my memories flood before my eyes, reliving the events since that fateful day.

" _I have to wonder,"_ Latios mused. " _What changed him and the other. That is what worries me most."_

" _So you're unmoved by his suffering?"_ Latios asked. I saw myself wandering the woods, my mind slowly adapting to the sudden overload of senses.

" _I'm not cruel, sister. Just worried for the future."_ Latios replied. I saw the battle with Joshua, his mistake, my evolution.

" _I say that his experiences warrants our help."_ Latias said. " _I am decided."_

" _Hold up a moment, this is interesting."_ Latios said. I saw myself meeting Alejandra for the first time. " _If you would allow me…"_ The memory jumped ahead, showing the moment where I first told Alejandra I loved her.

" _Mmm, you're right. He fell in love with a pokemon. The daugher of a once-human, but still."_ Latias said. The memory skipped ahead again, showing the fight where we defeated Joshua.

" _I am decided. We will call the council. Just know, young one, that if you wish to be with her there you can't have everything you want. There must me sacrifices."_ Latios said. My vision cleared.

"You alright?" Caleb asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. They'll help." I said.

Latias spoke again, but this time it seemed to not be directed at me specifically. " _We will call the council for the case of Tobias."_ She said. " _Alejandra will accompany him, but no other."_

Caleb nodded. "I've done my part. See you soon." He said.

Alejandra walked to my side, and I looked over at her. She met my gaze, smiling. The sight of it sent my heart racing. There would be sacrifices, Latios had said. I hoped I had the strength to make them. There was a flash of pink. I closed my eyes.

* * *

When I opened them, I could tell that we were not where we had been. The stars were all different, and the air was thinner. I looked around. We seemed to be on the flattened peak of a mountain. Alejandra was still next to me, Latias and Latios floating above and in front of us. Malcolm was with them, and he puked almost immediately. It seemed that alcohol and teleportation don't mix well. From this height I could see almost all of the region below us. I didn't recognize it, but it certainly wasn't Kalos.

Alejandra and I sat in awe at the view. "It's so beautiful up here." She said.

There was a popping noise behind us, and a flash of light. I turned around to see Mesprit, floating behind us. "I see you made it." Mesprit said. "I knew you would as long as you stayed together."

"Thank you, for everything." I said.

Mesprit turned to survey the mountaintop. "Others should arrive shortly, just be patient." It said. It was swiftly proven right, as nearly fifty pokemon arrived over the next several minutes. Some I recognized, such as Ho-oh and Mew, but most others I didn't. Some but not many brought along humans, likely trainers who had succeeded in befriending or capturing them. The legendary pokemon murmured amongst themselves, slowly gathering into a loose ring around the summit.

Suddenly, everything fell silent. There was a blinding flash of light, as a horse-like pokemon of white and gold appeared, shining with the essence of creation. It's name came to me, not from my memory but from somewhere deep inside, instinctual. Arceus.

It was flanked by Dialga and Palkia, two whom I vaguely recalled reading about in class. They controlled time and space, if I recalled. I had no clue which one controlled which. Arceus spoke, it's voice like thunder. "Thank you all for arriving on such short notice. As a reminder, the purpose of these emergency meetings are to deal with issues that cannot wait for a scheduled meeting, such as mortal affairs." Arceus turned it's gaze on me, and it was as if my entire life flashed before me faster than I could comprehend. I had barely registered what happened before it was over.

Latias spoke. "Tobias here has endured more suffering than any mortal should as a result of his transformation. The gift you gave to his grandfather is present within him, he could return to a human form with his mind intact."

Arceus was silent for a moment. "But what of the girl?" It said. I felt dread creeping in. I had avoid thinking about it for so long, but the moment was here. All I could do was hope.

"Therein lies the problem." Mesprit said. "They both want him to return to a human form, but equally they want to remain together."

"Only one can be had in full." Arceus said, turning his gaze to Alejandra, then back to me. "What would you have me do?" It asked.

I felt defeated. At the beginning I had wanted only to go back to how things had been before, to be human and see my mom again, but now I had Alejandra. I couldn't go back anymore, not completely. I felt as though I would never be happy again if I left her behind. At this point all I could do was hope. Funny how it all led back to that.

Arceus seemed to hear my thoughts. "It is decided." It said. Alejandra gave me a questioning look, but said nothing.

The corners of my vision began to go white, creeping inwards until all I could see was Arceus. "Your journey is only just beginning." Its voice said, as if it were a whisper in my ear, as the whiteness consumed me.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello again everyone! Not much for me to do on the car ride besides write, so here's another chapter. Expect these to slow down a bit once I start having classes again.**

 **Rocker on:** I'm not a huge fan of cross universe stories, or pure self insert. A Tale of Two Eevees is self insert enough as it is. The gift could probably happen naturally, but it would be less than one in a million.

 **Fer1323:** I'm glad you like my stories! What Lies Beyond's works aren't quite like mine, but I really suggest you read them.

 **Shieldliger001:** Yeah, that was a typo. I was worried that the last chapter would feel rushed myself, to be honest. I considered a more open debate but that turned out to be too hard to write, and if you have literal God there why would there be a debate on a matter like this? We might see Joshua again, but not as a permanent companion.

 **On with the story!**

I awoke, with a groan. I kept my eyes closed, my body felt weird. Sunlight shone through my eyelids, lighting my vision with orange hues. The last time I had felt like this was… when I had been turned into an eevee. My eyes flew open. The change was obvious. My nose was in my field of view, my human nose. When I looked up all the way I could make out hair. I pushed myself up into a sitting position, looking down at my body. I was dressed in jeans and a pale green t shirt, both completely lacking manufacturers labels. I was human again, and yet…

I lifted an arm, looking at the blade like leaf growing out of my wrist, mirrored on my other arm. I ran a finger across it, and I could feel when I touched it. I wasn't human, not completely. I focused my thoughts, and deep inside I could feel that well of power, still there. I looked around, quickly spotting Alejandra. She looked as she had when Mesprit cast our souls far away, but with one obvious difference. Flareon ears poked through her mess of fiery hair, an unmistakable mark that set her apart from any other human. She either unconscious or asleep, I couldn't tell which.

"She'll need longer to adjust than you will." Arceus's voice said from behind me. I turned around to look at it, the only other being on the mountaintop. "Your grandfather's gift allows you to adapt to these changes all the easier. He is a great man."

Is? I thought. I recalled a funeral, it was one of my earliest memories.

"He lives still." Arceus said, answering my thought. "Did you know I traveled beside him, in disguise, on his journey to return home? His tenacity was a wonder, even to me. After he returned, he was stricken with wanderlust, no longer content with a homely life. That is why he faked his death, and that is the first sacrifice that you have made. Both Alejandra and you will never be able to stay anywhere long, forever wandering. The second sacrifice you have already seen. Neither of you are truly human. In time, society may come to accept you, but until then your path will be hard and fraught with danger. When both you and her are ready, you will be brought back to Geosenge. I bid you farewell now, and leave you with this; seek your grandfather." The words were more than a suggestion. They were a command.

Arceus vanished, as if it were never there besides in my mind. I heard a groan from Alejandra. I rushed over to her, kneeling down next to her. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked me over, eyes lingering on the leaves. "You should have left me behind. I'm glad you didn't though." She said, flashing a smile. She looked over her own body, feeling her ears

I helped her up, and she deftly pulled me into a hug. "I think I can get used to this." She said, releasing the embrace, taking a few tentative steps back and forth.

"Well, this is us now." I said. "We've got no choice but to get used to it." I held out my hand, and she grasped it, squeezing with each of her fingers in turn. I felt the sensation of teleportation. This time, I didn't close my eyes, and instead looked to Alejandra as the world around us distorted.

* * *

The world righted itself, our surroundings that of Geosenge. Caleb and Frost were there, obviously surprised that we had just appeared out of nowhere. Caleb's eyes widened. "You did it then?" He asked, gaze lingering on my wrists.

"I couldn't have asked for a better outcome." Alejandra said.

"Agreed." I said, raising my palm, fully showing the blade of leaf. "This was the sacrifice we had to make to be together, and we'll have to live with it."

Caleb sighed. "I'm not sure you understand just how much hate people like us can get. While I'm happy for you, I wish you didn't have to walk this path."

"Oh, cheer up, Ca'le-Sa." Frost said. "Ale'jan'hai-tal and To'vai'rhan-tal. You are neither human nor pokemon now, and while you may be shunned by both you will have each other. You've got to get back to your mom now, don't you?" She looked up at Caleb, who sighed, reaching into his pocket.

He pulled out a wallet, handing it to me. "It isn't much, but it should help you on your way. The nearest port is Coumarine City, to the east. Take care of yourselves." He said.

"Thank you two, for everything" I said.

"We never would have made it without your help." Alejandra chimed in.

Caleb turned away, but looked back over his shoulder. "Goodbye." He said.

Frost followed behind him. "I have a feeling this won't be the last time we see each other." She said. "But until our paths cross again, farewell."

We watched them leave, walking on the path to the south, back from where we had came. I turned to Alejandra. "Are you ready to leave?" I asked.

She walked up to me, slowly, leaning in close. "Maybe in a bit." She whispered. Our lips met, at last.

* * *

It had taken almost a week to get from Kalos to this place. The house was just as I remembered. It was strange to see it remained the same when so much else had changed. I looked over at Alejandra, her hair blowing in the wind, radiant as a roaring flame where it caught the sun. She nodded, slightly. I walked up to the door, and knocked three times.

The door creaked open, and there she stood. My mom, just as unchanged as the house. She saw us standing there, and smiled. "Welcome home." She said, motioning for us to enter. The moment I crossed the threshold she hugged me so tight I thought she'd never let go. "You scared me so much." She said. "At least tell me where you're going next time."

"I promise I will." I said. She released me, and the three of us sat down at the kitchen table, my mom pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"So why don't you tell me what happened?" My mom asked.

I exchanged glances with Alejandra. "It's a bit of a long story." I said. "But we have time." I told her everything I remembered, with help from Alejandra to fill in things I missed. When we finished, we sat silently for a few minutes.

"There's something I think your grandfather would want you to have." My mom said, reaching into her purse. She pulled out a gleaming silver pocket watch, a compass set into the lid. "He told me it points to where one needs to go, and it doesn't point north by all accounts. Maybe he wasn't joking when he said that." She handed it to me, and I rubbed a finger across the pristine surface. The needle spun all the way around thrice, before settling on the east.

"Alejandra, thank you for everything you've done for my son." My mom said, taking a sip of coffee.

"It was my pleasure." Alejandra said. "And if you're ok with it I think I'll be with him for a long time."

My mom smiled. "Oh, I would never get between you two. You seem like an exceptional girl, and I doubt Tobias could settle for normal after all this. How long are you two going to stay here?" She asked.

"Not long." I answered. "There's a whole world out there to see, and we intend to make the most of our time."

Alejandra nodded. "Sorry we won't be staying longer, it was a pleasure to meet you, though."

We left, but not before my mom made sure we had far more packed than we needed, despite my protests. We stepped out onto the street, heading back the way we came. The compass seemed to be pointing back the way we came, towards Kalos, so that was our destination. As we walked I noticed an old missing poster, Joshua's face taped to a brick wall, advertising money in exchange for information.

Alejandra noticed it as well. "That's him, isn't it?" She asked. "Should we call them for the reward?"

I shook my head. "No way they believe us. Even if they did, it would only hurt them." I tore down the flyer, crumpling it into a ball. I tossed it over my shoulder, back into the past. I didn't look as to where it landed, my eyes toward the future.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello again everyone! I hope you've all had a good start of the week.**

 **What Lies Beyond provided the characters Jake and Swift, I do not own them.**

 **Shieldliger001:** As a programmer I can say that something can begin without ending, it just has to be recursive.

 **Fer1323:** All that will be revealed in time.

 **Rocker on:** You'll see what's next as it happens, no spoilers here. No, Mesprit just increased Joshua's empathy and shielded his mind. That would still be too much stress on their mind. There's no secret to getting around the one month rule, only Arceus's gift allows it.

 **On with the story!**

I adjusted the straps on my backpack once again, no matter how much I fiddled with it I could never seem to get it right. Alejandra and I had spent much of the boat ride below deck, keeping to ourselves. People tended to avoid us, and those that didn't tended to want to harass us. Only one, a man not much older than I, had offered us kind words.

We had passed the time talking; I tried to fill Alejandra in on human society and etiquette, but it felt to me that not all of it would be relevant given that we weren't completely human. Still, Alejandra was curious about it so I didn't really have a choice in the matter.

We disembarked, stepping out onto the docks, the sun to our backs. I had found out that I could still perform photosynthesis, albeit to a much lesser degree. It was enough to where I could skip a meal if I was in the sun for several hours, but even that was pushing it.

"So where are we going first?" Alejandra asked. "We gonna just be following that magic compass or whatever it is?"

"No, I thought we would go visit your dad first, show him that we made it." I said.

Alejandra smiled. "I think he would like that." We clasped hands, walking out into the city. We took the most direct path possible, following a main road.

I felt eyes on the back of my neck. I glanced over my shoulder, but didn't spot anyone who seemed to be overtly watching us. "Is something wrong?" Alejandra asked, noticing my agitation.

"I'm not sure." I said. "Keep an eye out." We kept walking at the same pace, approaching the city limits.

"Where do you think you're going, you filthy hybrids." The last word was drawn out, the y overly stressed.

The speaker stepped away from the wall she was leaning on, almost leisurely walking out to block our path. "Who do you think you are, walking around here like you belong? You don't belong anywhere!" The woman said. She looked like any other person for the most part, wearing jeans and a light jacket. Three pokeballs were visible, attached to her belt.

I glanced around. People were ignoring the commotion, giving us a wide berth. No help forthcoming, I turned to the woman. "We're on our way out, we don't want any trouble."

The woman placed a hand on one of her pokeballs. "Well I won't let you leave until I teach you a lesson about showing your face around here." She sneered. What was her problem? I thought to myself.

She clicked a pokeball, releasing a Lucario. It silently glared at us, taking up a fighting stance. This was escalating far too quickly. I glanced around again. The street had emptied out, no one was going to help us. I steadied my breathing, reaching deep into the well of power inside me, waiting.

"Lucario, Close Combat!" The woman called out. Faster than I could react, it charged at me, slamming a fist into my sternum. It felt like I had been hit by a truck. I staggered backwards, barely remaining standing. The lucario charged at me again, but this time I was ready, forming a ball of energy and letting the lucario run itself into it. The pokemon was thrown backwards almost a foot, giving Alejandra a chance run up and punch it, flames engulfing her fist.

The lucario grunted as the blow struck, but hit back immediately, striking her in the side. "Leave her alone!" I shouted, rushing at the lucario, gathering energy in my leaves. The pokemon tried to block the strike, but got a slash down its arm for its trouble. The lucario began gathering aura, preparing to throw, when suddenly a voice called out from behind me. "What's going on here?"

I turned around to see a man wearing a red jacket striding towards us, a swellow perched on his shoulder. He had long white hair, tied back in a ponytail, but he wasn't old. I couldn't quite place his age but he couldn't have been too much older than I was. The capture stylus strapped to his belt revealed him to be a ranger. Rangers were another thing that I had heard about but never actually seen, my hometown was developed to the point that a ranger would have nothing to do, no nature to protect.

"Because whatever this is is ending now." He said. He seemed to convey this sense of authority, despite the fact that rangers really didn't have any. The lucario dissipated the sphere, glancing back at its trainer. The trainer silently recalled it and stormed off, giving me a withering glare as she went.

"You alright? That was quite a nasty hit you took." He said, once the woman was gone from sight. The swellow tilted its head, looking at me.

I took a deep breath, wincing as my ribs moved. "I'll be alright, don't think I broke anything." I said, turning to Alejandra. "You alright?"

She nodded. "What was her problem, we weren't even doing anything?" She asked.

The ranger shrugged. "It's pretty common for hybrids to be attacked for no reason. You from somewhere that's not the case then?" He said, turning to her.

Alejandra glanced at me, seemingly looking for guidance. "It's a long story." I said.

The swellow gave me a dubious look. "Why did she need you to answer that?" It asked.

The ranger glanced up at it. "Don't be rude, Swift." He said.

"Wait, so if you can understand each other," I asked, leaving the question unfinished.

The ranger grinned. "I don't think I've introduced myself. The name's Jake, and my partner here is Swift." He said. "And I've got a bit of a long story as well. Would you two be willing to talk? I'll buy you lunch."

Jake led us to a small bar off of a side street. It was well maintained for the section of town it was in, and was relatively empty. The first thing I noticed were the horns growing out the sides of the bartenders head. The few other people here also were obviously non-human, with tails and ears and even one man with salamance wings growing out of his back.

We sat down at a table towards the back of the room. A waiter brought us menus and water, a tuft of feathers on his head marking him as part torchic.

"So," Jake said, reaching up and scratching Swift's head. "Why don't you tell me your story. Doesn't have to be everything, but you two intrigue me."

"So." I said. "I used to be human, but was somehow turned into a pokemon along with another guy I knew. We fought, I ended up beating him and evolving. I wandered a bit before meeting Alejandra and her father, who were both pokemon, but her dad was another human turned into a pokemon. We ended up falling in love, and went out in search of a way for me to return to being human. We ran into this growlithe hybrid named Caleb,"

Jake cut me off here. "Caleb? Good to hear he's doing well. He's been busy helping people like you for a while now. Sorry, continue."

"Not a problem, he really did help us a lot, it's nice to meet someone who knows him. Anyways, we were attacked by the other guy who was transformed but he had evolved into an arcanine. He hurt Alejandra so we rushed to a pokemon center. After we headed out again he waited a day before attacking as there were always too many people around. He threatened to kill Alejandra so I hurt him. I probably shouldn't have done what I did but I let what he said get to me. He ran away after that. We were able to convince enough legendaries that we needed help for Arceus himself to help us. He gave us the choice of me being fully human or us staying together. I chose the latter so we ended up like this. That was two weeks ago now." I said, taking a sip of water after I finished speaking.

Jake leaned back in his chair. "Arceus, huh? I've heard some crazy stories in my time but that's one hell of a journey. My story seems almost normal compared to that" He said.

"That's an exaggeration if I've ever heard one." Swift said.

"It was hyperbole, cut me some slack here." Jake said. "So me. I was born in a lab, I'm the result of a very, very twisted experiment. I'm what's called a shifter, meaning I can turn into a pokemon at will. It's quite a bit different from the kind of transformation you had though, puts no stress on the mind. What I turn into is a hybridization of a jolteon and vaporeon, strange, I know. Anyways, I think I can help you guys out somewhat. Seems like both of you need to learn to fight in your new bodies, and I'd be able to teach you. Whaddya say?"

He hadn't told much of his story, I noted. He gave a list of facts more than a cohesive tale. I was gonna have to press him on that sometime.

I looked over at Alejandra. "I'd like to." She said.

"Alright." I said, turning back to Jake. "We're in."


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello again everyone! Had a tiny bit of writer's block this chapter but I think I'm past it now. I've got finals coming up so maybe expect some more time between chapters.**

 **Rocker on:** Probably not. The others were either born like that or were transformed by a powerful pokemon or by science. That lady had had past troubles, yes.

 **Jeremy1555:** Not really.

 **Fer1323** : Too much content is one of the better problems to have in my opinion.

 **On with the story!**

After lunch we headed back out to the street. "So where were you guys planning to go?" Jake asked, leaning against a wall.

"We were heading to visit my dad, in the forest about two days travel south from Geosenge." Alejandra said.

"Cool." Jake replied. "I'm assigned to the region as a whole right now, so I'll come with you guys, if you're ok with that."

"That's fine with me." Alejandra said.

Jake grinned. "Now let's get out of this city, my human form feels so constricting but it's best to keep up the appearance around normal humans." We were able to leave without incident this time. Traffic along the road had returned to normal, and the woman was nowhere to be found.

I wondered if we'd ever see her again. Hopefully not. We exited out onto the route, the area around here treeless and open. There was no one else around, most people visiting Coumarine came from Lumiose City which was in the other direction. Jake stopped abruptly, turning back to us. "Just a warning, I'll look a bit different after this." He said.

Swift flew off of him, fluttering over to me and landing on my shoulder. "I don't like standing on him when he's shifting." Swift said. "Too much motion."

The changes were fluid, and for the most part small. Webbing grew between his fingers, small claws replacing his nails. His ears changed into a shape unlike any pokemon, somewhere between the fin like ears of a vaporeon and more normal ones of a jolteon. The most noticeable change was the tail, however. It looked much like the tail of a vaporeon, but the fins were longer and thinner than normal.

"That's better." Jake said, swishing his tail back and forth a bit. Swift casually flew back to his shoulder, as if this were the most normal occurrence imaginable.

"I've never seen anything like that!" Alejandra exclaimed, wide eyed.

"Me neither." I admitted. "You called yourself a shifter, how rare are those?"

"Oh, incredibly so. Hybrids outnumber up about twelve to one. That might not be accurate though, it's possible there's many more who just hide or ignore their abilities. There's really no way to know for sure. Anyways, let's get a move on, no point in standing here all day." Jake said.

We set off, heading down the road towards Geosenge. The few people also traveling to road gave us a wide berth, hurrying past and avoiding looking at us. The day wore on without event, and we ended up stopping for the night at an abandoned campsite, built off the side of the road.

"I don't understand why people are so afraid of us." Alejandra said, sitting down on a rickety wooden bench.

"It stems from a few thing." Jake said. "Fear of the unknown is one. They don't really understand us, and that's scary to a lot of people. Another is the fact that we're human in thought and motivation but we have powers like a pokemon. More than one hybrid has thought something along the lines of 'I could rob a bank and no one would be able to stop me', or even worse things than that. A fair amount of the time they aren't wrong. Those stories get out and the media inflates it into a big issue, and people become afraid. There no way to avoid the fear as long as any of us abuse our power."

Alejandra was silent for a minute before she spoke. "I disagree. There's a way to avoid fear. People can learn to understand one another." She said.

Jake sighed. "If it's possible, it's a long ways away. I honestly hope you're right, and that it can happen, but we've still got to deal with the world as it is right now. That remind me, tomorrow I'm going to start teaching you guys to fight. You may not like it but you've got to be able to defend yourselves."

I set down the ground pad my mom had fished out of the basement somewhere, apparently my grandfather had a fair amount of camping equipment. Unfortunately his tent along with quite a lot of other gear had been rendered unusable by moths and time. I laid down on it, looking up at the stars. Alejandra joined me, snuggling up close. I put my arm around her, my body drinking in her warmth. Sleep came to me quickly.

I awoke the next morning to a familiar sensation. "Would you stop poking me?" I grumbled, rolling over onto my back.

Alejandra giggled. She was leaning over me, our faces not too far apart. "Not gonna happen." She said, standing up straight.

I got up, glancing around. Jake was sitting at the bench, still in his hybrid form, watching us. Swift sat on his shoulder as usual. "Good, you're awake." He called out. "We'll start when you're ready."

I packed up the pad, shoving it back into my bag. I joined Alejandra across from Jake at the table. "So, from what I saw you two both have a lot if raw power, but you aren't used to fighting in these bodies. It's quite unusual for hybrids to do a passable Leaf Blade at all, let alone after only two weeks as a hybrid." He said. "With you I want to focus more on technique and improving your execution of the attacks. Alejandra, we need to work on focusing your power into attacks, you kinda just discharge flame."

He stood up, looking at me. "You'll go first." He said. We moved about ten feet away from the bench, standing a little ways apart. Swift flew back to the bench, perching on Alejandra's shoulder. "I want to try and hit me with a leaf blade. I'll be fine, so go as hard as you can." I nodded, taking a deep breath as I reached down into my well of power.

I gathered the energy in my leaves, and they glowed white-green with raw power. I cautiously approached Jake, my guard up. He casually stood in place, watching me, hands by his side.

I sprung into motion, taking a downward slash with my left arm. He easily countered, knocking my strike aside with his forearm. "Not bad." He said. "But try to make shorter movements, give me less time to react."

I backed up to my starting point, drawing from my well of power. This time I took a two short swipes, one with each arm. Jake had to jump back to avoid the attacks. "Better. That's enough for now. Would you come over here Alejandra?" He said.

We traded places, I sat down on the bench, and she took up position opposite Jake. Swift chose the top of my head as the best place to stand. "Do you have to stand there?" I asked.

"Yes." Swift said, poking her head into my field of view. I glanced up at her. She had to be leaning down at quite the angle for me to see her. I sighed, turning my attention back to the fight.

Alejandra was attempting to recreate flamethrower, her hands wreathed in fire, her face a mask of concentration. "Focus more on your breathing." Jake said. "Keep it rhythmic, that'll help increase your control."

Alejandra compiled, the slight rise and fall of her chest falling into even cycles. The fire grew in intensity, and she thrust her hand forward, fire blossoming from her fingertips. It shot forward, reaching a few feet before dieing off. She didn't let up, continuing to try and push the fore further.

I felt a strange urge to pull out the pocket watch. I did so, once again running my finger across the silver surface, the compass spinning around three times before settling on east. A sudden shock passed through the watch, causing me to drop it and yelp in surprise. Swift grumbled at the sudden disturbance, finally hopping down off my head.

From the watch sprung an image, lines of purple light forming a picture. It was my grandfather's image. Alejandra and Jake were both just as stunned as I was, the flames in Alejandra's hand dying.

"If you're hearing this, Tobias, it means that you've walked the same path as me. I set the delay to this long after you first touch it so that your mother wouldn't see this. The compass will now respond to two thoughts; love and destiny, and point the way to either of those. If you find you that destiny sends you down my path, find love first. A life of wandering is a lonely one indeed."


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello again everyone! I've decided that after I finish this fic I'm going to start working on a novel. I'm willing to put my RWBY story on hiatus due to the small reader base, but this story has too many followers for me to leave it incomplete for long in good conscience.**

 **Rocker on:** That will be explained later. Yes, he can turn into a pokemon. No, that's not how it works. A child of hybrids would take the mother's species. They were either born of hybrids or were turned into them. No human-pokemon relationships. Multiverse theory can make for good stories (see Rick and Morty for a great show based on it), and I might end up using it at some point. If you read my author's notes (the text in all bold) you would see I do have a catch phrase.

 **Shieldliger001:** It's a case of conflicting philosophies, I personally fall more on the pessimistic side, but I'm writing a character who is the opposite.

 **On with the story!**

I snatched the watch from the ground, staring at it in shock. "Well that was something." Jake said, eyebrows raised, walking over to me. Alejandra went to my side, putting a hand on my shoulder. The compass spun around thrice, pointing to the east as always. The message had said something about commands, hadn't it?

"Love." I said, and the compass began to spin once more. It spun around only once before settling, pointed directly at Alejandra. I moved the watch to make sure, and as I had expected the needle remained pointed at her regardless of position.

I heard her let out a sigh of relief. "What?" I asked, turning to look at her. "You know I love you, were you expecting it to point somewhere else?"

She shook her head, smiling slightly. "I couldn't help but worry, I know it was irrational. Try destiny, see where that points."

"You're just paranoid." Swift chimed in.

"Destiny." I said, and the needle followed its normal pattern, spinning three times and landing on east.

"It reminds me of a Time Flower." Jake said, staring at the watch.

I furrowed my brow. "What's that?" I asked.

"Time Flower." He repeated. "It isn't actually a flower, it's a type of crystal that grows in only one place, and they can store sound and images like what that message. They normally need Aura to activate, but I'd wager that this was made to activate once some other condition was met. They're exceedingly rare."

"Your grandfather seems so mysterious, how could he get something like that and make it into a watch?" Alejandra asked.

"I don't know that much about him myself, I've told you everything I know already." I said. "If it's a crystal I'd bet the glass on the watch is made of it somehow."

"Could be." Swift said. We stood silent for a moment, eyes on the watch.

I took one more look at the watch before pocketing it, the silver gleaming in the sunlight. "Should we get going? I don't see much point in waiting around longer." I asked.

"Agreed." Alejandra said.

Jake nodded. "We can do more training tomorrow." He said. "The day isn't getting any longer."

We set off down the road, the sun in our eyes the whole way. The day wore on, and the light grew dim. We set up camp at a more populated campsite this time, a small patch of woods around us.

Alejandra got a campfire going, a single touch setting a log ablaze. It took her more time to put the log into the fire put them to start it.

We sat by the fire, Alejandra and I leaning on eachother, hands clasped. Jake sat across from us, Swift on his shoulder as ever. "Could you tell us about Caleb?" Alejandra asked. "He never really told us much about himself."

Jake took a moment before answering. "Sure. Caleb's a rather complex person. He can be so intimidating to the casual observer, that trench coat doesn't help much, but he's one of the most caring people ever. He has the sine line of thought as you, Alejandra, when it comes to human/hybrid relations. He likes to spout his rhetoric about it whenever the topic comes up. He also hates to see people suffer to the point where he spends his time searching for someone to help. Did he tell you about the time travel stuff?"

I nodded. "He talked about that more than just about anything else.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised." Jake said. "That experience really changed him. Helped out someone with a similar situation to you, but they ended up stuck as a pokemon in the end. He met a friend who he thought was dead, and saw the man who made him a hybrid jailed. After he returned it was like he was a new man. Took a while for me to get used to calling him Caleb instead of Bane. Anyways-"

"Someone's coming." Swift said, flying up to a tree branch to get a better vantage point."

Jake stopped abruptly, turning to look at the group of people who were approaching us. "Mind if we join you?" One of them, a heavyset old man, said. His glasses shone in the firelight, eyes barely visible. There were two others, a middle aged man missing an arm and a younger woman with short hair.

"And who might you be?" Jake asked, eyebrows raised.

"We're just travelers." The woman said, looking us over. "I'm Illiana."

"I'm Gordon." The middle aged man said. His voice was exceptionally deep, and rumbled more than an earthquake.

"And I'm Rodger." The old man said. "It's fine if you want to be left alone, but we like to talk to people we meet on the road. We'll give you some food, if you'd like."

Jake looked at us. "Up to you guys, I won't be the one to say no to food."

"Take a seat then." Alejandra said. "I'm Alejandra, the one with the tail is Jake, and this is my boyfriend Tobias."

Illiana and Gordon sat down to our left, and Rodger to our right. "So you're all hybrids?" Illiana asked, eyes lingering on Jake's tail.

"More or less." Jake said, after a brief pause.

Gordon pulled a box out of his bag, opening it up to reveal a large number of pre-made sandwiches. "Help yourselves." He said. I took two, passing one to Alejandra.

"So why are you guys traveling?" Alejandra asked.

Rodger adjusted his glasses. "I'm trying to improve my health, Illiana wants to see the region, and Gordon travels for the sake of traveling. We ended up meeting each other a few months ago in Lumiose City, and since then we've seen most of the region. What about you three? What brought you to this place?"

"I'm actually a pokemon ranger." Jake said. "So I've just been wandering around the region as of late."

"We're heading to visit Alejandra's dad. Jake helped us out of a tight spot in Coumarine City and offered to tag along." I said.

"I've always wondered," Gordon said. "How many hybrids just hide what they are and live life as humans."

"Who can say?" Jake said, giving Gordon a lengthy glance.

"So you two are dating, you said?" Illiana asked Alejandra, seeming eager to change the subject to something less loaded.

"That's right." Alejandra said, flashing a smile at me.

"How long have you two been together?" Rodger said.

"About a month. It feels like it was so much longer ago that we met, with all that's happened." I said.

Illiana groaned. "You can't say stuff like that and not elaborate."

"If I say more it'll just leave you with more questions than it answers, are you sure you want that?" I asked.

"That's the best kind of story, if you ask me." Rodger said. "One that leaves the ending open to the listener's imagination."

"I don't like loose ends, but I'd like to hear it anyways." Gordon said.

"Just over a month ago, I was a pokemon and he was a human." Alejandra said, taking a bite of her sandwich.

Rodger's eyes widened more than I had thought possible. "I've heard rumors of happenings like this, but never in my life did I think something out of a legend would sit across a campfire from me."

Gordon looked at us, not saying a word. Illiana echoed his silence, eyes turned to the fire.

"We should get some sleep." Illiana said, after a few seconds. "Just promise that you'll tell us your story if we meet again."

"Absolutely." I said.

The three of them left, leaving us alone around the fire. "I'm surprised you told them that." Jake said.

"That was pretty reckless." Swift said, echoing his sentiment.

Alejandra shrugged. "What's the point of a story that you never tell?" She asked.

In the dim firelight I saw Jake closed his eyes for a second. Everyone has a story, and he had yet to tell us his.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hello again everyone! Today is my last day of exams, and I'll be heading home on friday for a month's break. I'm not sure how often I'll be posting during break, but we'll see. Bit of a short chapter but I hope that's forgivable.**

 **Bob Loot:** I really appreciate that, I really dislike leaving things unfinished. I do however understand losing interest with a project, I tend to only focus on one at a time.

 **Shieldliger001** : They weren't meant to make you suspicious, and there's no reason not to trust them. Some of them will show up eventually, but not for a little while.

 **Rocker on:** Dramatic irony is the best kind of irony if you ask me. The novel is going to be a fantasy story like most of my short stories I have on FictionPress (same username if you want to see those). I'm planning to have it from mostly one perspective with a few chapters of another person's. I'm aiming for the chapters to be ~3000 words. It's 'Hello again everyone'. I'm not big on catchphrases so that's all you're gonna get. The way the compass works isn't really important, it's more just a Macguffin, to borrow a term from D&D. Let's say Arceus makes it work because why not.

 **On with the story!**

The morning was dreary and overcast, the sun hiding behind grey clouds. I awoke to Alejandra getting up, extracting herself from my arms. "Good morning." I said, pushing myself into a sitting position.

"Good morning." She said, stretching her neck.

Jake looked over at us. It didn't look like he had gotten much sleep, there were bags under his eyes. Swift looked just as good as ever, perched in her usual place on his shoulder.

"Hey." He said, obviously stifling a yawn. "I've been thinking about what you said last night. About stories being pointless if you don't share them. I haven't told you two my story yet."

Alejandra cocked her head slightly. "The comment wasn't really aimed at you, you don't have to if you don't want to."

"It's alright." He said. "Let's get walking before I start though, it's a long one." We packed up our things, drops of rain beginning to fall. Jake took Swift under his shoulder, his jacket shielding her from the light drizzle. She looked indignant but was obviously grateful.

Alejandra put on a jacket, but I refrained, the rain on my skin refreshing to me. We set out, and Jake started talking almost immediately.

"I'm a clone of a man named Jack Walker, another ranger, since they couldn't get their hybrid pokemon to work out so they made me to bond the DNA to. I was raised in a lab, I didn't know anything of the outside world until the people who made me captured someone else and subjected them to their experiments. He told me about the outside world, and for the first time I realized that what I had experienced wasn't normal. The group I would come to call friends broke me out of the lab along with the other, and I traveled with them for some time. We actually saved the world, once, before we were even adults. Our group parted ways not long after I turned eighteen. I ended up at Ranger School after a while, and I met the man who is the genetic template I was made from. When I was with my friends I felt like I fit in, but without them I believed myself to be out of place because of what I was. It wasn't until later on during Ranger School that I realized I could fit in, and be accepted for who I am regardless of what I am. I graduated and was assigned to Kalos. That's the jist of it."

We were silent for a minute after he finished speaking. "It's strange, how so much can happen to one person but most go through life without knowing these things are possible." I said.

Jake grimaced. "Arceus knows." We passed through Geosenge without pause, the relentless pitter-patter of rain and the sound of our footsteps the only noise audible.

"You forgot to mention me." Swift grumbled.

Jake smiled for the first time that day. "Nothing personal, just didn't feel like saying everything." He said. We trudged along, traffic on the road much diminished with the rain. Probably most people sought shelter or just weren't traveling.

The rain began to fall harder, and I heard the rumble of thunder in the distance. I pulled on my coat, no point in getting my clothes completely soaked.

I looked back at Alejandra. The rain on her face evaporating in seconds. Her hair still looked mostly dry. She noticed me looking and smiled, closing her eyes for a second. I stopped for a second, letting her catch up with me, her pace quickening for a moment. Our hands clasped, we walked side by side down the muddy road.

I pulled out the watch, for once using it for its intended purpose as telling time. I had gotten so used to estimating time by the sun that I hadn't really thought about using the watch before. It read twelve thirty, the numerals running around the edge of the watch face a pristine black in stark contrast to the silver. If the thing ticked I couldn't hear it over the rain, and I had never heard it do so before, as far as I could remember. Was it mechanical, or something else?

I put away the watch. I would have to check once the rain stopped. Time wore on, and the rain worsened if anything. Alejandra's hand in mine warmed me, a flame unquenchable, unable to be smothered. Where did all that fire come from? There was still so much unknown about pokemon, let alone hybrids like us.

I had to wonder how many of my cells had chlorophyll, or if I had rigid cell walls, or just what percentage of me was plant? I had found myself doing this a lot lately, wondering about things like that.

I pushed it from my mind, there was no point to those thoughts. I had no way to answer them. The rain was starting to lessen, no longer coming down in torrents.

A glance back at Jake showed Swift to be asleep, still tucked under his arm. His tail lazily swished back and forth as he walked.

Without warning he whipped around. "Who's there?" He called out, voice raised against the rain. The sudden motion awoke Swift, as evidenced by the annoyed squawk from under his arm.

I turned around fully, nearly slipping on the muddy ground. I couldn't see anyone at first, but after a moment I made out a figure walking towards us through the gloom.

I shifted as best I could into a fighting stance feeling inwards into my well of power. The lack of sun was costing me, I had but little to draw from. "Don't make me repeat myself!" Jake called out, his voice deadly serious. "Who are you and what do you want?"

The figure moved closer. I could now make out an impossibly tall man, about half again my height. He stopped a few feet from us, his long white hair and ragged clothes now visible.

"Strange beings, unlike that existed back then..." He said, his voice deep, and sad. "Do not impede me…" It wasn't a threat, more a command. The man lumbered forward, brushing past us.

I watched him vanish into the gloom, eyes searching even after he had been completely obscured. "Who or what was that?" I asked.

Jake exhaled slowly. "That." He said. "Is someone that I've only heard of before. He's called AZ, and he was a king of this region almost three thousand years ago."

"Three thousand years? How is that possible?" Alejandra asked.

"No clue, I just told you all I know. We should get a move on, no point in standing here in the rain." Jake said, striding forward. We follow as we followed behind him now, the rain falling ever downward as we went ever onward.


	24. Chapter 24

**Hello again everyone! I'm sorry about the wait but I decided that I'd spend my winter break doing things other than this. I'm back now though, and I'll probably fall back into a pattern of at least a chapter a week. The chapter is a bit short, but I wanted to get something out there because of how long it's been since the last one.**

 **Rocker on:** I'm still alive, don't worry. Jake had previously heard about him, and it's hard to mistake someone that tall. If you remember Jake was part of a hybrid pokemon experiment, so there's your answer. The watch part of the watch is mechanical. The grandfather will help out some, but there's quite a few ideas that I had at one point and have abandoned, but I'll do my best.

 **Bad Pun King:** I'm glad that the story inspired you! You really should try and write if you have the time. Being able to commit my ideas to a page helps me flesh them out as well as seperate the good from the bad.

 **Shieldliger001:** AZ is a character I really like from the games, although he got too little screen time if you ask me. I myself have never been a very suspicious person, although part of it might just me being bad at reading social cues.

 **On with the story!**

The night brought restless sleep. It was nearly eight by the time the rain stopped, and we made our camp on the side of the road. The next morning brought warmth and sun, my body greedily eating up the sunlight, refilling my well of power. I got up before Alejandra did, careful not to wake her up as I did. Jake was still asleep.

There was a flutter of wings and a sudden weight as Swift landed on my shoulder. "I'm surprised he told you his story." She said, eyes trained on Jake. "He doesn't like to talk about himself until he knows someone very well."

"I guess what Alejandra said got to him. She's right, if you never tell people your story then you may as well not have one." I said, with a yawn.

She cocked her head. "Maybe, but I think he feels he can trust you, he- there's something coming."

I sensed it too. The soft sound of footsteps, the smell of smoke growing closer. I began to gather energy, slipping into a fighting stance.

An arcanine leapt from the trees with a roar, teeth bared, but fell short, stopping a few feet from me. It's head was pointed down, but that couldn't hide the long scar running down its face, through its eye.

"Wait, is that…" I heard Alejandra say from off to the side. No doubt the roar had woken both her and Jake.

"Why are you here?" I asked Joshua.

"I didn't realize who you were. You returned to normal." He said.

I rubbed my wrist where the leaf jutted out. "Mostly." I said.

"But are you happy with it?" He asked, quickly.

I didn't need to think that through. "Yes."

He seemed to relax, letting out a breath. "I'm glad. I've been trying to come to terms with myself, and knowing that will help."

"Why'd you attack just now then?" Alejandra asked. I glanced over at her, then around to Jake. She had gotten up. Jake was simply sitting, watching silently.

"You guys smell all a lot like pokemon. I can't see very well with one eye, but I've only got myself to blame for that. I just want to say sorry, for everything. I won't bother you again." He said, looking at me with his good eye.

I said nothing as he turned away. As he was about to vanish back into the woods I finally found my voice. "Give yourself another chance." I said.

He turned his head to look at me. "I don't think I'll ever understand you." He said. "But if I can I'll be a better person for it." He walked out into the forest, vanishing behind a tree.

We didn't talk at all while we walked, as there wasn't anything to say. Even so, there was this tension in the air that I couldn't quite place. Alejandra seemed on high alert, frequently checking behind her as she walked side by side with me. Maybe it was the sudden appearance of Joshua, or just the lingering memory of AZ, but something was making me feel on edge.

I pulled out the pocket watch to check the time, but stopped short of opening it, letting the compass spin. Once, twice, three times around, before stopping south east, pointing straight down the road. I nearly dropped it in surprise. It had always pointed due east before this, why had it suddenly changed?

"What's wrong?" Alejandra asked, looking over at me.

"The compass changed." I said, holding it up for her to see.

She looked at it for a few moments, then up at the road. "I guess we're going the right way then." She said, with a slight frown.

"It's pointing the way we're going?" Jake asked, keeping his eyes forward. "Makes sense that it could change, destiny isn't exactly a tangible thing."

"You're right, I just wasn't expecting it to after being the same for quite a while." I said, putting the watch away, before realizing I forgot to check the time and taking it back out.

It was late by the time we reached a familiar town, the tops a line of trees just barely visible over the hills. Jake had transformed back into his human form before we came into sight of it, but it didn't seem like many people were out. In fact, if it were not for the lights on in windows I might have thought the place deserted.

We reached the pokemon center, and I stopped short, looking at it. The lights were on, but the windows had been smashed, and the outer walls spray painted with seemingly random splotches of color.

I pushed open the door, stepping inside. The interior wasn't in much better shape. It looked like someone had taken a sledgehammer to one of the walls, and shards of glass dusted the floor beneath a shattered light. The nurse came into the room, stopping abruptly when she saw us. I saw her eyes go straight to Alejandra's ears, and she seemed to relax some.

"Hey." I said. "It's been a while, but I think you wanted me to tell you my story."


	25. Chapter 25

**Hello again everyone! I hope you're all doing well. Got this done a bit later than I had hoped, but here it is. I've got a fair bit more class work this semester, so new chapters might be a bit slower than before.**

 **Rocker On:** Yes, I am alive. That's exactly correct on why they can't normally change back. I did see the reviews, and I'm working on the fifth chapter of about fifty that I'm aiming for. I'm planning to wrap this up rather soon actually, and leave it open ended. If/When I decide to do another fic on this site they might show up again though. No annoyance here, I like getting consistent reviews.

 **On with the story!**

The nurse stared at us for several seconds, mouth slightly open. "I… I don't… is it really you?" She said, after a few seconds. "I know you indicated you were human, but I wasn't sure I believed you. No offense but it's… earth shatteringly insane!"

"Yeah, it's me. You'll remember Alejandra as a flareon." I said.

The nurse glanced at her, eyes gravitating to the obviously non-human ears. She seemed to stiffen slightly. "Did anyone see you going in here?" She asked.

"Don't think so." Jake said.

She relaxed slightly. "Anti-hybrid sentiment has been a bit higher than normal, lately. People don't like that I help them, and, well, you can see what happened."

"When did this happen?" Jake asked.

"Just today." The nurse said, looking down at the ground. "It'll be some time before I can get it fixed. The local government doesn't provide that much in the way of funding."

"That's awful!" Alejandra said, fiery eyed. "How can people let this be, this place is supposed to benefit everyone!"

The nurse sighed. "I wish I was still so idealistic. People don't like spending money, it turns out. By the way, we haven't introduced ourselves at all. I'm Illya, nice to get to really meet you all." Illya reached out a hand which Alejandra shook.

"I'm Alejandra, nice to meet you." She said.

"Jake." Jake said shortly.

I spoke last. "And I'm Tobias."

Illya nodded, glancing at me then at Alejandra. "Nice to see you two were able to stay together. Why don't you tell me the story now?"

Jake took a seat on the bench to the side. I glanced at Alejandra, then back to the nurse. "I'll start at the beginning. About two months ago I was a normal highschool student, I hardly thought about life beyond school, let alone traveling to another region." I began.

I told her as much as I could remember, leaving out some details about Jake. Best to protect his privacy. She listened intently, not saying a word until I was done.

"It's crazy how much you've been through and at such a young age." She said. "I'm glad it worked out for you."

"Thanks." I said. There was a few seconds silence.

"There's people coming." Swift said, almost nonchalantly. I strained my ear, and heard the sounds of feet and hushed voices.

"We should get out of here." I said, with a low voice.

"What's going on?" Illya asked, looking scared. I had forgotten she wouldn't understand Swift.

"There's a group of people headed our way." Jake said. "Is there a back exit?"

The nurse nodded, beckoning to us. Alejandra and I followed her behind the counter, and I looked back at Jake. "You coming?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I'll lead them off your trail, and try and meet up with you by the forest. Don't wait for me though, and if I don't make it in time, I wish you a safe journey and a good life." There was a steel in his eyes that stopped my argument before I could voice it.

"See you later, I hope." I said.

He flashed me a smile. "Hurry!"

We headed in back with the nurse. I had never been in the back of a pokemon center; it was just about what I had expected. A few storage rooms, an operating room, and what seemed to be a lounge of sorts. Illya led us to a door at the end of the hallway.

"This opens to out back, good luck!" She whispered.

"Thank you for all your help." I said, equally quietly.

Illya opened the door. "Just come back sometime, alright?"

I nodded, then stepped out into the cool night air. I crept around the side of the building stopping crouched below one of the broken windows. Alejandra followed by my side.

"I came here alone, no clue what you're talking about." I heard Jake say.

"Thats easy enough to check." A gruff voice said. "Gardevoir, is-" There was the sound of shattering glass.

"Don't let him get away!" The voice yelled, and there was the sound of many footsteps.

"We need to get out of here." Alejandra whispered.

I gave a slight nod. "I just hope he's ok, do you think he'll be alright?"

Alejandra shrugged. "I have a feeling he will, but there's no way to know."

We headed out, moving slowly until we had moved a full block away from the building. Before us stretched rolling hills, and in the distance the tops of trees.

I glanced back behind us. No one had followed us, no one was obviously watching us. I stepped out past the shadow of the last house and into open moonlight. Alejandra followed behind, as ever.

We walked on, eventually making camp at the edge of the forest. "Should we light a fire?" I asked. "It would make it easier for Jake to find us."

"It'd also make it easier for anyone else to find us. We shouldn't risk it." Alejandra said. I laid down on the mat, sighing slightly.

"And besides," She said, laying down so that her face was mere inches from mine. "You've got me to keep you warm." Sleep came to me only late in the night.


	26. Chapter 26

**Hello again everyone! Had a bit more time this week, so here's a chapter. I don't know how soon the next chapter will be, it really depends on my workload next week. We're entering the final 3-4 chapters here I think, but don't hold me to that.**

 **Rocker on:** If a random human being got pokemon powers, the likelihood that they would abuse them is very high. Also, a hybrid might be more likely to be mentally unstable given what they are, so it make sense that people are afraid of them. The system's not really rigged, it's more that the local government for the small town has a lot less funding than a city does overall. That's pretty basic economics. One of those is correct, I'll let you guess about which. The last line won't be a love cliche, I know that much. I should probably start thinking about it now though, I really suck at last lines. Practice makes perfect. I'm not offended, when I look back at some of my older works I see some pretty obvious errors myself. Once the first draft is done I might post a link to it as a chapter. I might try and publish it as either an ebook or physical book eventually, who knows. The only reason I might not is because I don't particularly want my real name associated with these stories (I'm too socially awkward to publicly own up to it given the stigma fanfiction has), and that would make it a lot easier than it is now to figure out.

 **On with the story!**

The next morning came, but Jake did not come with it. We waited longer than we should have, until almost noon, for him to arrive. I was conflicted; part of me wanted to stay longer, but I knew that waiting here was dangerous. If any of the townsfolk had a pokemon who could track us we were putting ourselves at risk.

The forest trail we walked was the same one that we had taken with Caleb when we left the forest months ago, only now we headed inward.

We walked silently, side by side, hands clasped together. The sounds of the forest calmed me some, but it wasn't enough to cease my worrying about Jake. If he got hurt I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.

"You're still worried about him, aren't you?" Alejandra asked, almost as if she had read my thoughts.

I nodded. "How'd you know?"

"You're all tensed up." She said. "Dead giveaway that you've got something on your mind. You remember he saved us back in Coumarine? He can look after himself and then some."

I sighed. "He never really got around to teaching us to fight. I'm honestly glad."

"Glad? Why's that?" She asked, turning to look at me.

"I don't want to fight at all, and I guess I feel like knowing how to would subvert that." I said, after a few seconds.

Alejandra nodded. "Papá always said that one should only fight when all other options are exhausted. I used to not follow that as much as I do now. Maybe you're rubbing off on me."

"Is that a bad thing?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

She flashed me a smile. "I never said it was."

We were silent for a few seconds. "We've really come a long way since this all began. I know it's pretty obvious, but I feel it's only becoming clearer." She said.

"I know what you mean." I said. "Something about seeing this forest again from a different perspective. So much happened here, but it looks different now. Could just be that I'm taller."

Alejandra chuckled at the joke, and we lapsed into silence again. In the quiet, I heard the sound of distant footsteps, definitely human, and definitely more than one person. Alejandra's ears perked up, she likely heard it as well.

We glanced at eachother, then broke into a run, but the footsteps were only growing closer. There was a flash of light and Alejandra cried out, tripping over a root as she stumbled.

I skidded to a halt, whirling around. Three middle aged men with identically cruel looks on their faces advanced towards us, each with a pokemon.

The one on the left had a Houndoom by his side, it's eyes burning as it glared at us, teeth bared. On the middle man's shoulder stood a Raichu. That must have been what hurt Alejandra. The third stood by a large, frog-like pokemon I didn't recognize. It's tongue lolled out, wrapped around its neck like a scarf.

I gave Alejandra a hand up. She found her footing quickly. Good think her ankle didn't break there, otherwise we would have been in even more trouble.

"What do you want?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady against anger and fear.

The middle one spoke, his voice low. "You monsters need to stay out of our village." The others stayed silent, still slowly moving towards us. I felt the heat radiating from Alejandra as she gathered her fire.

"We're just trying to live our lives, the same as anyone else." I said, slowly backing up, maintaining distance with them.

The rightmost man spoke. "We don't care, boy. Houndoom-"

"One move and you all burn." Alejandra cut in, tongues of flame coming off her clenched fists.

The leftmost man gave a grim chuckle. "Fiery temper, this one. maybe we should have a go at her before we kill 'er."

I struck without thought, blinded by anger. The energy ball sent the man sprawling, and the frog leapt at me to counter attack. There was no time to dodge. I could only track the glimmer of movement and begin to raise my arms to guard my head, when the world around me distorted and changed, all but for Alejandra by my side.

Reality reformed into a very familiar cave, no sign of the three men anywhere. I looked up at our savior, floating in the air before us.

" _Welcome once again, Children._ " Mesprit's voice spoke in my head.

"Thanks for getting us out of there." Alejandra said. I was still seething with anger, how dare they threaten her like that?

A wave of calm swept over my mind. Mesprit's gaze had turned to me, a soft glow in it's eyes. "Children," It spoke aloud. "Your journey has brought you far, but may never truly end. Destiny is as fickle as emotions, and not nearly as fierce." Its voice was a dirge, slow and somber.

"What do you mean? Should I not trust the compass?" I asked.

"I cannot say. I'll send you now to your destination, regrettably I have matters to attend to." Mesprit said, cryptically. Alejandra gave my hand a quick squeeze, as if reaffirming her presence. The world around us warped once more.

We stood outside the walls of Ramiro's pseudo-fortress. I hadn't really gotten a sense of their true height before, but I could now easily see over them. Ramiro walked towards us, cautiously. Alejandra smiled. "Hey dad," She said. "It's been a little while."


	27. Chapter 27

**Hello again everyone! Sorry about the delay. I don't have a great excuse, but I had a bit of writer's block with a few small things here and there. I'm thinking there will only be two more chapters, although the last one might end up longer than normal.**

 **Shieldliger001:** Mesprit sent them to their more immediate goal. They had been planning to visit Ramiro before heading anywhere else. Let's just say fight scenes are hard, and I kinda wrote myself into a corner anyways.

 **Rocker on:** They'll definitely would meet up at some point, although it won't be in my writing. That's on What Lies Beyond if she so chooses. It could be any combination of reasons why they hate hybrids, I'll leave that to the reader's imagination. A summer home is a good analogy.

 **On with the story!**

We sat on the ground inside Ramiro's compound. It hadn't taken too long to get Ramiro caught up on what had happened in the last few months. In hindsight, we mostly just spent a lot of time walking. However, they say the journey is more important than reaching your destination, and I can't really disagree.

"I'm glad you two stuck together." Ramiro said, after we finished telling the story.

"The whole time I was afraid that we might not." I said.

Alejandra smiled at that. "Arceus kept us together, can't really ask for more assurance than that."

Ramiro nodded, sagely. "I can't agree more, although the price… a life wandering is not an easy path."

"We have each other." I said. "We'll manage, one way or another."

"Speaking of wandering, where's the compass pointing now?" Alejandra asked.

I pulled it out, holding it flat in the palm of my hand. As ever, it spun thrice before settling. The needle pointed south east, but seemed to waver ever so slightly.

"How often do you check the compass?" Ramiro asked.

I shrugged. "Once a day at most."

Ramiro shook his head. "You should check it more often, especially while traveling. You could pass by where you need to be without knowing it." He said.

I looked down at the device, wondering why I hadn't realized that. "Thanks for the advice, I'll be sure to do that." I said.

We lapsed into silence.

"I thought I'd have more to say." Alejandra said, after a few seconds. "I guess that more than I thought goes without saying."

Ramiro gave a sad smile. "I know. Just visit me whenever you find the time, and remember I'm always here to help."

Alejandra stood up, and I followed suit. I felt incredibly serene, maybe sitting in the sun for a few hours did more than I thought.

Alejandra looked conflicted. I could tell she both wanted to stay longer and wanted to get going, but in the end there was little tying her down here. We were both adults, as weird as it was to realize.

I still felt like a child, going on this adventure. I had always thought that I would lead a boring life, ever since my dream of being a trainer died. Wandering a region far from home just didn't mesh with my ideals of adulthood.

"Take care of yourselves." Ramiro said.

Alejandra seemed to have made up her mind. "Bye, papá." She said, giving a parting wave.

We headed out eastward, and as we walked I frequently checked the compass. We made good progress, stopping for the night at the top of the large cliff.

The needle now pointed south-southeast. We had to be getting close now. Alejandra rested her head across my chest, her warmth bringing rest to me swiftly.

The next morning brought rain and thunder, and strong winds that buffeted the trees, the weakest threatening collapse. We arose early, Alejandra getting under a tree for shelter as soon as she woke up.

We set out once more, following the compass to this unknown destiny. I felt a sense of unease, like something was not quite right. I forced the feeling down, but eventually I couldn't ignore it any longer.

"Something's off around here." I said. "But I can't figure out what."

Alejandra looked around. "I know what you mean. It's like we're being watched."

As if on cue, a houndoom emerged from the bushes before us. It looked malnourished, fresh looking scars on its side. I recognized the pokemon, although the difference from before was striking.

"I know you. You lead a clan or something around here." I called out, shifting to a slightly wider stance. The rain beat down on us, harder than before, muffling all other noises.

"Used to." The houndoom growled, poised to strike. "I was usurped. As ever, the string depose the weak. Now your time comes."

Straight to the point then. I sidestepped the attack, the houndoom's jaws closing on air. I gathered energy in my leaves, slashing one down the pokemon's side. Alejandra simultaneously landed a kick to his ribs, trailing a line of fire in the wake of the strike.

The houndoom fell to the ground, struggling to get up. His existing wounds were doing more than we had at this point. I looked down on him. "That's the second time you've underestimated me. Maybe you aren't as strong as you thought." I said.

I saw comprehension dawn in his eyes as we walked away. I didn't give a backward glance, even as I could feel eyes following me.

"I remember you telling me about that houndoom." Alejandra said, after a minute or two trudging along. "You always sounded so scared of him."

"It's not hard to fear something larger than you." I said.

She gave a slight nod, but said nothing else. The rain continued to pour down, and we kept walking. Every hour or so I would check the compass, watching the needle make its way to point southeast.

By the time we stopped for the night the rain had cleared up. We set up camp in a clearing, and Alejandra lit a small fire so we could dry our clothes. We sat together by the fire, side by side, and to me it felt like home.


	28. Chapter 28

**Hello again everyone! This is the second to last chapter, but the last one will likely be on the longer side. I'm sorry that it's taking so long for me to get these done, but with schoolwork and other things I just don't have the free time I would like to.**

 **Rocker on:** Part of it is showing how Tobias has changed as a character. At the beginning of the story he would have helped the houndoom rather than leave it there, but now he more understands that he has to find his own path rather than help others along theirs. Read the chapter, you'll find out what's happening. That's correct. The pieces have mostly come together already, I think. Part of the reason for collaboration is that I like to see someone else iterate on my ideas to see what happens. I think I might use a pen name, that's a good idea. Then again, I've been thinking I might just risk it and use my real name. I don't get the reference, sorry. I don't think I'll be putting another story on here, and if I do end up doing another it won't be for a while.

 **On with the story!**

The next morning brought chills and the first sign of fall. I shivered, pulling myself closer to Alejandra as we lay together. A single leaf on a single tree had begun to show orange, a sure sign of the changing season. I wondered how it might affect me, since I was at least a little bit plant.

Alejandra awoke soon after me, and we packed up camp, listening to the sounds of the forest at morning. I checked the compass once more; it's bearing had changed slightly west now. We set out in the direction the needle pointed.

A few hours of walking later, we came across a small clearing, surrounded by particularly dense groupings of trees. It took me a second to recognize it. "Hey, wait a moment." I said, gesturing to the clearing. "This is where I first woke up as an eevee."

Alejandra stopped, surveying the area. "It's amazing how far you've come from here." She said, after a few seconds.

"Well, I had you with me most of the way." I said, causing her to smile. It was then that I remembered the reflecting pool. That wasn't too far from here, if I was right.

I gestured for Alejandra to follow me, and set off in the direction I was pretty certain the pool was. It took only half an hour to reach it. We sat together by the water's edge looking down at our reflections. In it, we saw not us as pure humans, but as we were then. My hair was starting to get a bit long, I realized, staring at my reflection. I'd have to cut it eventually.

I turned my eyes to her reflection, her beauty just as striking as when I had first seen her in this form. It was amazing how simple relationships were when the creator of the universe decided you should be with someone. I cut off that line of thought before I began considering free will and choice. It didn't make a difference either way. I felt the way I felt, and nothing could change that.

We didn't linger long at the pool. After all, it had shown us next to nothing we couldn't already see. I found myself checking the compass often as we walked, slight changes in direction making more and more of a difference as we approached supposed destiny.

We reached it by nightfall. It was a cave, smooth walled, and dark. I had spent a night in the mouth of it, sheltered from the rain. I circled around it once, and the compass pointed steadily inwards. I looked to Alejandra.

She was staring off into the darkness, not at ease in the slightest, tensed as if gearing up for a fight. "Something's off about this place." She said, quietly.

I knew what she meant. There was something in the air here, something intangible, that was unnatural very unnerving. Still, I had to press on. "I guess we should go in." I said, taking a step forward. Alejandra followed a step behind, igniting a small fire in one hand to cast light on the cave. We delved deep, the cave branching and turning multiple times. The walls remained the same smoothed stone, the tunnel ever the same size, the curvature never changing. Eventually we reached a massive cavern, tunnels going off in seven directions along the walls.

What looked like stone houses stood in the center of the cavern, all empty. There were no signs of life anywhere around here. "This is so strange." Alejandra said, inspecting the ground near one of them. "It's like these houses were once single chunks of rock." She was right. The structures were seamless, and all of the same gray stone as the rest of the cavern.

"I guess we just pick a direction now." I said, looking down at the compass. It was spinning around wildly, never staying in one place for long, even as I moved around the cavern.

There was a sound of footsteps, but both Alejandra and I were standing still. We both looked around wildly. "That won't be necessary." A voice I had only heard once before called out. I turned to look at him. He was old, much older than he had been in the message on the watch. His hair was white, and he wore a coat that had been patched so many times that it was impossible to tell what the original color was. He walked with a cane of wood. His hair was white, his eyes a colorless gray. He shared several features with me, from the shape of his nose to the pronounced veins on his hands.

"I'm glad you finally made it here, and just in time at that. I'm just about ready to die." He said.


	29. Chapter 29: The End

**Hello again everyone! Welcome to the final chapter. I'd like to give a big thanks to everyone who's read and/or reviewed this story, with a special thanks to What Lies Beyond for collaborating with me on this. I'll be posting to this story once the first draft of my novel is finished, so just follow this if you are interested.**

 **There's nothing left to say now, so for one last time, on with the story!**

My grandfather looked at me, and I saw pride in his eyes. "Follow me, please." He said. "We have much to talk about, and little time to do so." He began walking to one of the side passages, favoring his left leg.

I glanced at Alejandra, then followed after him. "I should start telling my story now, I suppose, so listen carefully, I only have time to say everything once. I used to lead a normal life. I married your grandmother, may she rest in peace, and had the most beautiful daughter in the world. My life was average, but fulfilling." He said, with a sigh.

He cleared his throat before continuing. "I can't recall exactly when it happened. One day I was myself, the next I was in the body of a squirtle. I don't truly know the reason why, but my guess is it was somethings idea of a joke. I spent three years just wandering. I didn't even know what region I was in, and back then a human transforming into a pokemon was unheard of as compared to now. I was among the first in recent decades, maybe even a century or two. Still, I never gave up hope. After those years Arceus found me. He restored my human form, but cursed me to wander for the rest of my days. Since then I've done nothing but travel. Oh, how it grinds down the soul to have nowhere to call home."

In the pause the only sound was our footsteps on stone. The tunnel sloped downwards, further into the earth.

"We followed your old pocket watch to get here. I've been wondering how exactly it works." I said, when it became clear he wasn't going to continue.

My grandfather scoffed. "That old thing? Dialga owed me a favor. If sees forward in time and points to where something important will happen. It's a curse to even hold it."

"What do you mean? It seems nothing but useful." Alejandra asked.

My grandfather glanced back at her. "So you're the girl my grandson fell for. Thank you for staying by his side. As for your question, I'll explain in due time."

"Why did you never go home?" I asked.

He didn't look back at me but I got the sense that he was sad. "I did, once. Do you not remember I visited you?"

"Vaguely." I said. "I can't have been more than five or six."

He nodded. "That was the first time I mustered up the courage to face your mother after being gone for so long. Your grandmother, my wife, had died. I couldn't stand knowing that she died thinking I had abandoned her. I thought maybe distancing myself for good would ease the pain." He brought a hand to his eyes. Wiping away tears, I realized.

The tunnel opened up into another cavern. This one was lit by luminous crystals that cast multicolored light all around. They jutted from the walls, floor, and ceiling such that moving around was like traversing a maze. "Ah, we've arrived." My grandfather said. "In forty five years of travel I never found a more beautiful place than this. I don't know where the light comes from, but that only adds to the wonder."

He took a seat on the ground, resting his back on one of the crystals. Alejandra and I sat opposite him, and she took hold of my hand.

"Have you heard of a man called AZ?" My grandfather asked, suddenly.

I nodded. "We crossed paths with him, briefly."

My grandfather gave a slight nod. "But do you know his story?"

"No." I said, with a shake of my head.

"AZ was once a great king. He sacrificed many for the sake of one, only for the one to reject him for the atrocities he committed in its name. Now he eternally wanders the world in search of the one who left him. AZ is a lot like the three of us. Like him, we must wander, unable to be bound to one place. Yet, you should envy his state of being. We know we must wander, and therefore so do so without a purpose of our own. In there lies the first of my dying wishes. Find a way to break the curse of wandering. I don't want you to have to live the life I did." He said.

"But Arceus itself cursed us, how could that ever be broken?" Alejandra asked, wide eyed.

My grandfather glanced up at the ceiling. "Arceus does not act with omnipotence. It wields great power, but nothing is completely infallible. Only it can break the curse, so you must help it. Find a problem it wants solved, and solve it. Now follow me once more, there is something else I must show you."

We followed him into another side passage, delving deeper and deeper into the earth. As we walked I felt the temperature rising ever so slightly, little by little. The tunnel opened up once again, this time into a cave flooded with murky water.

"This place has been flooded for hundreds of years." My grandfather said. "There's no source of water to keep it sustained, but it has remained stagnant for longer than living memory. It is unmoving, unchanging. The complete opposite of us. This brings me to my second dying wish. Whether or not you break the curse, find stability. Find a constant, something you can return to when you are weary."

"I think we've already found that." Alejandra said.

My grandfather looked up at her. "How so?"

"We have each other. I plan to never leave his side, that's about as constant as it gets." She said.

He chuckled. "Maybe you're right. Don't dissapoint me, then."

A thought occurred to me. "You said you were getting ready to die, what do you mean by that?" I asked.

He gave me a sad look, and sighed. "Tobias, I have lived a long time. I've seen all I could of what the world has to offer, and what it does no longer interests me. The lowest tunnels of this system are near collapse, and will do so in about an hour. There will be my tomb."

I didn't say anything in response, just trying to process this.

"There's nothing in the world that you like enough to stick around?" Alejandra asked.

"I've been a hollow shell ever since I learned my wife died." He said, quietly. "I went out in search of the greatest natural wonders, and felt nothing as I looked upon them. I saw the greatest of man's machinations, and still no emotion came to me. There's nothing left for me here."

Once more we followed him through the caves, this time to a dead end. "Ah, here's the spot." My grandfather said. "Here is where I will die. Now, hand me that watch."

I complied, drawing the watch from my pocket and handing it to him. In his hand it spun around in a slow circle. "Ah, to hold such a foul thing once more. Knowing where one's destination is takes meaning from the journey, and our existence is all about meaning. If you were to hold onto this you would come to resent it as I have."

He placed it on the ground, kneeling beside it. Swiftly he grabbed a small chunk of stone from the ground, smashing it down on the watch. There was a feeling of my ears popping. In the instant the rock connected, it was as if I was seeing an infinite number of realities through the same set of eyes. I saw myself back home, alone. I saw myself at a restaurant somewhere, staring at a girl that was not Alejandra. I saw myself running on all fours through the woods from some unknown predator. I saw myself as I was, staring at the shattered face of the compass, set into a watch. So many flicked by, miniscule differences jumping out at me.

Reality snapped back into focus.

"That was…" Alejandra said. "Strange."

My grandfather nodded. "It showed all possible versions of the present when it's power was released. Don't dwell on it too much, the choices you have made shaped where you are now, and there's no way to change that. My final dying wish is thus. Don't let yourself be guided by destiny or fate. Make your own choices, for better or for worse." There was a rumbling from above us somewhere.

"Go now." my grandfather said, glancing upwards.

I picked up the broken watch. The miniscule seconds hand tried to tick forward, but jumped back to the same spot. "It was nice to see you again." I said, putting it back into my pocket.

He smiled, closing his eyes. "It was good to see you too. Now go, only minutes remain."

Alejandra took my hand, and we ran from that place, a loud rumbling crash echoing through the cave.

 **Epilogue**

I walked out of the jewelry store, bag in hand. Alejandra leaned against the outside wall, looking bored. "I don't know why you wanted to get the watch fixed." She said.

"It's all I have left to remember him by." I said, simply.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, good thing your mom gave you money for that otherwise we would have to forage for the next month. Let's get going."

"Alright." I said, heart pounding. I slipped the ring into my hand when she turned away.

I caught up to her, and she grasped my hand as she always did. She stopped short, letting go of my hand, the ring in her palm. Her eyes shone as she glanced back at me. "You don't even have to ask." She said, pulling me into a hug tight. "I'll be with you forever either way."


End file.
